Native speakers wanted!

[Molly]

[Torsten]

Hi Molly, I think you are saying this because you will never be able to speak like Brandee.

TOEFL listening lectures: What makes 'The Canterbury Tales' easier to understand?

[Molly]

[Lost_Soul]

[Molly]

[Torsten]

We would like to collect feedback on all the recordings we have on our site.

TOEFL listening lectures: What happened at the Potsdam Conference?

[Molly]

[Stew.t.]

hi Torsten

As I have a busy schedule I could only get back to you now on your point concerning me taking over from the Okie.

I think the problem is two fold, in that trainers often have a version bias, and therefore do not think to include various listening exercises in their lessons from different sources.

Also the learners take for granted the challenge of a rounded learning process, that goes hand in hand with reliance on the trainer for the audio material, and thus listening exercises.

If you combine both of the above the result is a learner who really has a very thin self learning system, and not very effective input. The result is a one dimensional learner who is confident in the safe, familiar environment of the classroom but outside of this box has little diversity.
_________________
Please meet Stewart Tunncilff

[Ralf]

Guys,

It's important to consider the speaker's level. Brandee surely speaks to fast for A2 learners (except when she introduces the piece of writing), and the exercise here is clearly addressed to A2 learners. If you feel like learning Spanish or Russian or Chinese, you don't want to listen to someone who reads at a speed of 60 pagers per hour; the natural speed of someone who has read an easy script many times before recording it.

Read it as if you had to make sense of it yourself while reading it, then your intonation will improve and your speed decrease in a natural way.
_________________
Test of English as a Foreign Language
TOEFL Preparation & TOEFL Vocabulary
Learn more: How to Become an English Teacher

[MrPedantic]

I thought the three voices (Brandee, Martin, Stew) worked well in combination.

I wonder whether it would be useful for ESL students to have three versions of each text.

MrP

[Brandee]

Hello All! :D

Thank you for your feedback. I am not an English teacher. I own a marketing company and am a world traveler. I came across this site while seeking "speaking" jobs. This is not my written material, so any "slang" or "phrasal verb" usage is not my own. I am reading text. This is the first time I have done anything like this. I have never read text for anyone at anytime. I am a public speaker. I tend to talk far too fast for most people. When I looked at this website and the goal of teaching english, I intentionally slowed my speech down for the purpose of helping people learn english. I read the criticism for sounding slow and boring. I was then told to pick up the pace. I picked up the pace and then was described as "lifeless". There is issue of typos, that I stumble across. I initially took it upon myself to repair that myself. However if you read the text...some of the time it does not make sense. As I am not an english teacher, I do not think I should take it upon myself to correct someone else's writing. Additionally it helps to show where the typos are, by hearing it read as it is written. Of course we have the challenge of British English and American English.

Ideally, "constructive" criticism would be best. This is the first time I have ever tried to read text for people. There are a lot of different opinions out there. We have a saying where I live..."you cannot please all of the people all of the time and only some of the people some of the time." Anything that you can say that can help me to do a better job and that in fact helps you to do a better job would help us all. I will read slower, faster, more emotion, less emotion, like text, not like text...???? It is very confusing. If you read the text, most of the time the stories do not "flow" as they are strictly being used to make a point and not be a real story.

Whew...with all of that said. I welcome constructive criticism and anything that can help me to do my job better. Anything that I can do to help you accomplish your goals, please let me know!? Please remember. I am not a teacher, have never been a teacher, do not know who my audience is and I am relying on you to guide me in this.

Thank you all!

Brandee :D

[Martino]

[Molly]

[Molly]

[Ralf]