Webinar: Haptic Pronunciation Teaching

I attended a fascinating webinar on Haptic pronunciation teaching. This method uses a systematic way of teaching pronunciation with gestures and touch.

In this webinar, William (Bill) Acton, a professor of Applied Linguistics at Trinity Western University, Australia, and Amanda Baker and Michael Burri, two senior lecturers at the University of Wollongong, Australia, gave a fascinating webinar on Haptic pronunciation teaching. Their roles and research have been in the areas of the embodiment of second language learning, neuroscience, and pronunciation teaching. I loved the concepts and am hungry to learn more, as I strongly believe in the power of the voice and the body in learning and communication.

So what exactly is Haptic pronunciation training? 

It’s a way of teaching developed by Bill Acton between 2008 and 2020. It’s a systematic approach using movement and touch, covering vowels, stress, rhythm, intonation, and some selected consonants. Haptic is from the Greek ‘haptikos’, relating to the sense of touch.

You can find out more information on Dr. Acton’s site: https://www.actonhaptic.com/

If you would like to discuss your organisation’s (corporate, NGOs, Associations and Universities) Business English (including pronunciation) or Presentation skills needs, I offer free 30-minute consultations through my site. I’d love to meet you.