Focused Skills Series

1.5-hour instructional sessions for groups of up to 6 students!

The TfCS Focused Skills Series (FSS) offers the benefits of working with a professional Speech Consultant in a small group setting.

Learn about the fundamentals of clear speech in interactive 1.5-hour sessions with up to five of your peers. In each session, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in communicative practice, receive individual feedback from the Speech Consultant, and leave with useful suggestions for customized independent practice.

FSS sessions are designed to benefit you at any stage in your journey toward clearer speech. If you have participated in other TfCS services, the FSS will give you in-depth practice with the challenges that may have been outlined in your Oral Communication Video Assessment (OCVA) or in your One-to-One Sessions. If you are just starting to explore our services, we recommend starting with our OCVA, which will provide you with a comprehensive, personalized profile of your intelligibility needs.

Below you will find descriptions of the FSS sessions currently available. FSS session times vary each week during the semester.

Tricky Sounds Series

It can be challenging to pronounce certain sounds in English that are not used in your native language. This series focuses on those difficult sounds and is divided into three sections: consonants, vowels, and word endings. By attending these sessions, you will learn to pronounce the very sounds that are the most difficult for you, which will help to improve your intelligibility and increase your confidence in speaking English.

Tricky Consonants for Chinese Speakers

This session focuses on consonant sounds that are typically difficult for native Chinese speakers. If you have trouble saying words like “library” and “version” or saying and hearing the difference between “light” and “right” or “west” and “vest,” this session is for you!

Tricky Consonants for Korean Speakers

This session focuses on consonant sounds that are typically difficult for native Korean speakers. If you have trouble saying words like “world” and “quickly,” or saying and hearing the difference between “far” and “fall” or “peer” and “fear,” then come to this session for some guidance!

Tricky Consonants for Spanish Speakers

This session focuses on consonant sounds that are typically difficult for native Spanish speakers. If you have trouble saying words like “observe” and “believe” or saying and hearing the difference between “major” and “mayor” or “sheep,” “cheap,” and “jeep,” then come check out this session!

Vowels I: Front Vowels

This session focuses on the 5 vowels that are made in the front of the mouth that are typically difficult for many learners of English to distinguish, as in the words “meet, mitt, mate, met, mat.” If you have trouble hearing or saying the differences between these sounds and confuse words like “eat” and “it” or “bed” and “bad,” this session is for you! You can take Vowels I and Vowels II in any order.

Vowels II: Center and Back Vowels

This session focuses on the vowels that are most difficult for many learners of English that are made in the center and back of the mouth. If you have trouble hearing or saying the difference between words like “luck” and “lock,” “boat” and “bought,” and “fool” and “full,” then sign up for this session.

Vowels III: Combined Vowels

This session focuses on the vowels that are difficult for many learners of English (especially Chinese speakers) because they are actually two vowels combined into one. If you have trouble hearing or saying the difference between words like “down” and “Don,” “smell” and “smile,” “noise” and “nose,” or “tall,” “towel” and “tile,” then sign up for this session.

Vowels IV: Long Vowels

This session focuses on the vowels that are most difficult for many learners of English because they are longer than other vowels. If you have trouble being understood when you say words with a long “ay” sound as in “rain,” or “ow” as in “home alone,” this session is for you. Helpful tips will also be taught and practiced to help you understand and say all vowels with the appropriate length depending on what word they appear in.

Tricky Word Endings

Word endings in English can convey valuable information, such as tense and possession, so it’s vital to clearly pronounce them. Come to this session to learn about the most important word endings and the rules that will allow you to pronounce them clearly. You’ll have several opportunities to practice word endings in communicative activities, and receive helpful feedback.

Stress and Rhythm Series

When speaking English, knowing how and where to use stress (or not use it) is a critical part of clear communication. This series will teach you how to appropriately stress or reduce the sounds of words and syllables in your speech. Gain the skills to help you differentiate between similar-sounding words, use special types of emphasis, prevent miscommunication, and more!

Word Stress I: Introduction to Word Stress

You’ve probably heard the word “stress” used to describe what you feel during finals, but it also has another meaning: the use of special vocal emphasis in English pronunciation. Stress is crucial to accurately pronouncing many English words, and being understood by your listener. Come to this session to learn about how to produce stress in words, talk about why it’s so important, and explore several rules for using stress in your speech to improve your intelligibility. You’ll receive feedback from the Speech Consultant and suggestions on how to monitor yourself for future improvement. You can take Word Stress I and Word Stress II in any order.

Word Stress II: Additional Stress Patterns

This session builds on the knowledge you gained in the Word Stress I session, by introducing you to new rules about how to use word stress, and giving you opportunities to try out your skills in interactive activities while receiving instructor feedback. You can take Word Stress I and Word Stress II in any order.

Rhythm in Sentences

This session is an exploration of rhythm in spoken English. Through a series of fun and interactive activities, you’ll learn how stress and rhythm are related, why it’s important to speak with appropriate rhythm, and what you can do to master this crucial skill and improve the clarity of your speech.

Thought Groups and Intonation Series

While speaking, users of English rely on stress, rhythm, and intonation to express ideas clearly. In this series, learn how to use these features of spoken English to improve your intelligibility in a variety of contexts, and to better control certain subtle meaning differences. In each session, you’ll engage in activities to help you perceive and produce the relevant feature, and learn ways to practice independently.

Thought Groups: Chunking Your Language

Thought groups are “chunks,” or groups, of words that convey a single idea. English speakers use thought groups to organize the rhythm of their speech and express their ideas clearly and meaningfully. In this session, learn how thought groups can help you become a clearer communicator in both formal and informal contexts. We’ll observe how proficient speakers of English use thought groups to effectively organize their ideas, discuss how thought groups can change the meaning of what you say, and practice using them in an informal speaking activity.

Introduction to Intonation

This session will introduce you to the basics of falling and rising intonation in spoken English. You’ll learn about several important ways that intonation is related to meaning, and have opportunities to practice producing and interpreting different types of intonation with your peers. We’ll write and perform short dialogues, participate in fluency-building activities, and discuss ways to continue to improve your use of intonation independently.

Connected Speech and Linking I and II

Have you ever noticed that proficient English speakers sound as if their words all flow together without any pauses? Proficient English speakers link words in phrases, so a question like, “Could you give me the book?” sounds like “Coojagimmethebook?” In these sessions, you will learn and practice many of the rules for connecting English words so you can both better understand spoken English and speak more naturally.

Note: If possible, please try to take Part I before Part II. This is not necessary but preferable.

Pragmatics Series

It can be difficult to know the right words to use in certain situations. This series highlights important considerations for apologizing, refusing, and requesting in a wide variety of social, academic, and professional contexts. Each session offers a number of practical strategies to appropriately navigate everyday situations, and you’ll have opportunities to learn and implement new language in authentic scenarios.

Pragmatics: I’m Sorry!

In many cases, apologizing involves much more than simply saying, “I’m sorry.” Come to this session to learn about the factors that affect the language you use to apologize. You’ll examine low and high-stakes situations and discuss appropriate apologizing strategies for each. Role plays will allow you to receive feedback from the Speech Consultant.

Pragmatics: Beyond Saying “No.”

It can be very difficult to refuse advice, a request, or an invitation from others, especially from someone of higher social status. In this session, you’ll first practice simple refusals in low-stakes situations using hesitation techniques, and then examine how direct and indirect language can be used for refusals in academic settings. You’ll then apply several language-based strategies for refusals in academic and professional scenarios.

Pragmatics: Making Appropriate Requests

Asking to borrow a book from a professor requires much more thought and finesse than asking your friend. The type of language used for requests can vary widely, and in this session, you’ll manipulate grammar to appropriately soften requests. You’ll also examine several situations involving a request, and act out role plays in order to receive feedback from the Speech Consultant.

Pragmatics: Giving Critical Feedback

How can we tell someone they are wrong without offending them? Come to this session to learn and practice a wide range of language-based strategies for giving critical feedback in a variety of authentic situations involving your peers, professors, and employer. You’ll also have plenty of opportunities to receive feedback from the Speech Consultant!

Grammar and Vocabulary Series

You know the importance of using accurate grammar and vocabulary to communicate clearly, but perhaps academic, professional, or social obligations have prevented you from reviewing difficult grammar forms or valuable terminology on your own. Each session below offers ample opportunity to strengthen your understanding of a key grammar or vocabulary point and put it into practice

Articles: A Closer Look

Articles (a, an, the) frequently occur in both spoken and written English. Knowing how to use them accurately is a valuable skill that will enhance your communicative ability. During this session, we’ll take a closer look at articles and practice using them in a variety of contexts. Participants will engage in activities designed to help you use these little words to large effect.

Past Tense Verbs: Forms and Usage

Don’t avoid expressing yourself in the past tense. This session reviews both regular and irregular simple past tense verb forms before moving on to the present perfect (has/have + past participle) and past perfect (had + past participle) tenses. Particular attention is paid to examining past participles. Activities such as sentence creation and storytelling allow participants to practice using familiar verb forms while learning new ones.

Figuring Out Phrasal Verbs in English

Sign up! Come on! This session investigates how phrasal verbs, also known as 2- and 3-word verbs, are commonly used in informal communication. Both separable and inseparable phrasal verbs will be presented and practiced. You’ll learn about multiple meanings and play a fun game that will test your recall. Don’t miss out!

Describing Line Graphs

Being able to describe line graphs clearly and correctly is extremely important for class, work, and even daily life. Just one incorrect word can completely change the meaning of a sentence. Come to this session to learn and practice the correct organization pattern, grammar, and vocabulary to describe a line graph with confidence.

Describing Bar Charts and Pie Charts

Being able to describe bar and pie charts clearly and correctly is extremely important for class, work, and even daily life. Just one incorrect word can completely change the meaning of a sentence. Come to this session to learn and practice the correct organization pattern, grammar, and vocabulary to describe bar charts and pie charts with confidence.

What’s Up with Idioms?

Have you ever been told somebody is “on the fence,” but were confused because you don’t see a fence anywhere? Or has someone ever told you to “take it with a grain of salt,” or that you’ve “hit the nail on the head”? Idioms are tricky because their actual meaning can be very different from their literal meaning. Come to this session to practice common idioms in authentic situations, and learn strategies to figure out the meanings of unclear idioms during small talk.

Want more? Check out our Overview Workshops for longer sessions on even more topics!

Let’s communicate.

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