Stanford

EFS 693B - STANFORD UNIVERSITY
Listening and Communication

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EFS 693B

Notes: Week 4

(note changes from 10/13 version)  

 

I. Warmup – http://www.theonion.com/content/video/apple_introduces_revolutionary.

 

II. Quiz on "No Time to Think"

 

III. The English sound system - an overview

            A. Basic sounds (phonemes): http://www.uiowa.edu/~acadtech/phonetics/#

            B. Rhythm: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_timing

            C. Stress: www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/word-stress.htm

            D. Intonation: www.americanaccent.com/intonation.html

            E. Linking: www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/linking.htm

            F. Reduced forms: www3.telus.net/linguisticsissues/ReducedForms.html

        

IV. Technical training: how to get more control of the media player (in a PC).

  1. Load  the video using the Windows Media Player option

  2. Right click on the video screen and select "properties" (if available)

  3. Copy the URL into a new browser

  4. Hit enter, and it should load into the regular Windows Media Player, giving you the full playbar (if expanded) and allowing access to speed control and the graphic equalizer (set to speech)

 

V. Using the VLC media player: go to www.videolan.org/vlc/ to download player or use the machines in the Meyer Lab (second floor)

  1. Load  the video into the VLC Player, using the Media menu. Use "Open Network Stream" if you have a URL for it.

  2. If you don't have the URL handy, right click on the video screen and select "properties" to find it; alternatively, for Flash videos you may be able to get it by using View > source and searching for "flv". Sometimes, you just can't find it.

  3. Note that the speed control is on top: you can also jump back two seconds using Shift- <-- and one minute using Ctrl - <-- (use the same with forward-arrow to jump forward)

 

 

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Homework: Unless otherwise stated (e.g., the independent project) you should complete this material in time to discuss it in the following class. Be sure to bring notes if requested.
 
1) Continue working on your independent project. Plan to do some combination of 3-6 sessions for a total of three hours. Try to have a mixture of objectives that includes not only comprehension, but also building language knowledge and improving processing. Be sure you are doing something about reviewing your vocabulary.
 
2) Go to the Online News Hour: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/. You can either pick the current program or look at the archives under "recent programs" and find one there. Follow the instructions in IV and V and listen to at least 5 minutes of one of the stories at slow speed (70 or 80%, even 50%) and then again at normal speed. Did slowing it down seem to help your comprehension? Were you able to notice new words, reductions and linking, more easily? Did you follow the pre-listening, while listening, and post-listening recommendations? If you have trouble loading the material into the VLC player (or Windows media player for older videos like the one below), let me know.
 
3) PBS Online News Hour: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/science/jan-june03/dna_04-25.html.. Follow a standard listening lesson procedure:
    A. Pre-listening: The title is DNA's 50th Anniversary: What is DNA?  What do you know about its discovery? Be sure to think about this before you begin listening.
    B. While listening: Pause occasionally (more often if you're having trouble) and try to recall what you know up to that point; jot down a note of the time for interesting or difficult parts
    C. Post-listening: What do you remember? What should you do next?
        - Listen again to the full story for comprehension
        - Listen to selected parts for comprehension
        - Look at the transcript for comprehension help or to focus on vocabulary building
 
4) Prepare to discuss your project with other students in the class (bring notes to help you remember)
       1) What material are you using?
       2) Why did you pick that? What are your objectives?
       3) Give an example of an effective procedure you're using. Why do you think it's effective?
       4) What is the most useful thing you've learned so far from the project?
       5) What is your main problem in doing the project?

 

Last modified: October 20, 2009, by Phil Hubbard