Learning, remembering, and using the stress and intonation patterns of North American English can be complicated and cumbersome. The interference of using one’s native-language rhythm patterns can create the potential for misunderstanding, frustration, and miscommunication. RULES on the Run offers a practical solution to the classroom teacher. By learning the stress, intonation, and pronunciation rules that guide American English, speakers can adopt more listener-friendly communication, achieve personal satisfaction, and succeed academically and professionally.
RULES on the Run is a reference tool to increase understanding of the elements of American English pronunciation. It summarizes the pronunciation and stress patterns of compound nouns, adjectives with nouns, phrasal verbs, proper nouns, acronyms, initializations, numbers, heteronyms, past-tense endings, and -s endings. Corresponding tutorials and materials for these rules are available for purchase at www.eslrules.com. In addition, the RULES by the Sound online pronunciation platform offers opportunities to practice pronunciation and rules through sound-loaded stories by hearing a spoken model and recording the student’s speech.
The RULES on the Run charts are appropriate for intermediate-level English speakers in middle school, high school, college, and the workplace. RULES on the Run is color coded so that users can associate a rule with a specific color. When students work with the RULES or RULES by the Sound materials, or any other written work, they are encouraged to underline or highlight the examples of the target rule in the corresponding color. RULES on the Run can be integrated into any pronunciation or language lesson, in addition to focused accent modification and communication training programs. www.eslrules.com
