SCREENING TEST



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SCREENING TEST

Welcome! You have been directed to this document since you purchased a “screening test” from . Taking this test will let you know if you are ready for the formal examination needed to earn a Paul Meier Certificate of Proficiency in one or more of the twenty-four accents or dialects currently offered.

Please save this document on your computer as it is without any changes.

Do this now, please.

Now save it again, renaming it as:

“YourFirstNameYourLastNameScreeningTest”

(e.g. “PaulMeierScreeningTest.doc”)

…without spaces.

Do this now, please.

Please continue…

This test is in four parts:

PART 1 (3 minutes): Fill in your contact details (these will be kept confidential).

PART 2 (approximately 40 minutes per dialect): Depending on how many dialects you opted for when you purchased your screening test, select one or more of the stories below and notate the ones you choose with the signature sound numbers and additional feature letters needed for the dialect(s) you’ve chosen. (IPA transcription not required.)

PART 3 (approximately 20 minutes per dialect): record yourself speaking the story(ies) you have prepared.

PART 4 (2 minutes): e-mail us this document and the sound file(s) you created.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

Do not proceed until can comply. You must have:

• a computer equipped for sound with speakers or headphones, microphone, and webcam, and that can play mp3 sound files

• a broadband internet connection

• the ability to create, edit, save, and e-mail sound files of your recorded voice in mp3 format (download guide from )

• Acrobat Reader (free download from )

• a subscription to Skype (free from )

CAN YOU COMPLY WITH THESE TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS?

IF SO, PLEASE PROCEED TO PART 1. IF NOT, LET US KNOW AND YOUR PAYMENT WILL BE REFUNDED.

PART 1: Please type in the following information:

|FIRST NAME: |Surge |

|LAST NAME: |Shatilo |

|ADDRESS 1: |29 MJK Internationalist, apt.19 |

|ADDRESS 2: | |

|ADDRESS 3: | |

|CITY/TOWN: |Tsirkuni |

|STATE/PROVINCE: |Kharkov |

|COUNTRY: |Ukraine |

|ZIP CODE/POST CODE: |62442 |

|E-MAIL ADDRESS: |etr@mail.ru |

|PHONE NUMBER: |+38 066 707 42 70 |

|FAX: |+38 057 751 96 45 |

|DIALECT(S) YOU ARE TESTING FOR TODAY |General American |

…and click “save” again…

PART 2: Choose one or more of the stories below, depending on how many dialects you opted for. Feel free to choose any of the stories for the dialect(s) you’re testing. Type in the name of the accent or dialect you are notating immediately after DIALECT/ACCENT:

As in the formal exam, this is an “open book” test. Referring to the book or booklet you’ve been studying, in the space provided under the text, type in the signature sound numbers and additional feature letters needed for the accent or dialect you are studying, and click “save” again.

EXAMPLE:

DIALECT/ACCENT: GERMAN

A FOX one day fell into a deep well and

10 3 7 1 a a 3 1 9 5

SUGGESTIONS:

• You might find it convenient to print the passage and work from a hard copy before transferring your notes to this digital document.

• One examinee reported good results by first searching for all instances of signature sound #1 before going on to #2; he said this was easier than dealing with each word one at a time and hunting for the signature sounds needed.

• If you position your cursor immediately under the text, as close as you can to the line above, you will find it already formatted to allow you to type in Times New Roman, 10-point, red as in the example above. (If you have difficulty, please select that format from your own word processor, but make sure that that your typing aligns exactly where you want it.)

• Don’t worry if you cannot find an example of every signature sound and every additional feature; several may be unrepresented in the passage you choose.

• Sometimes you may be unsure if you should assign a signature sound to a particular word; it may depend on whether that word is stressed or not. Don’t worry; your examiner is well aware of these nuances, and will take such ambiguities into account.

STORY 1

DIALECT/ACCENT:

THE ANTS were spending a fine winter's

day drying grain collected in the summertime.

A Grasshopper, perishing with famine,

passed by and earnestly begged for a

little food. The Ants inquired of him, "Why

did you not treasure up food during the

summer?’ He replied, "I had not leisure

enough. I passed the days in singing.” They

then said in derision: "If you were foolish

enough to sing all the summer, you must

dance supperless to bed in the winter."

(80 WORDS)

STORY 2

DIALECT/ACCENT:

A LION was awakened from sleep by a

Mouse running over his face. Rising up

angrily, he caught him and was about to kill

him, when the Mouse piteously entreated,

saying: “If you would only spare my life, I

would be sure to repay your kindness.” The

Lion laughed and let him go. It happened

shortly after this that the Lion was caught by

some hunters, who bound him by strong

ropes to the ground. The Mouse, recognizing

his roar, came and gnawed the rope with his

teeth, and set him free, exclaiming, “You

ridiculed the idea of my ever being able to

help you, never expecting to receive from

me any repayment of your favor. I now

know that it is possible for even a Mouse to

confer benefits on a Lion.” (132 WORDS)

Surge: You do very well indeed. While you could not yet pass as a native-born American, because of very subtle variances, you are hitting your pronunciation targets very well; better than 80%, which would qualify as a pass if you were seeking a Certificate of Proficiency. Of course, a written test is also involved, so I hesitate to predict a pass if you were to take the formal exam. Listen to my recorded notes.

The words highlighted in yellow are from your RP recording. Again, you do quite well. Not so well as with GenAm, however. You have the tune, but not quite the rhythm. You do non-rhotic very well. Listen to the end of the recording for my comments.

STORY 3

DIALECT/ACCENT:

THE ASS and the Fox, having entered

into partnership together for their mutual

protection, went out into the forest to hunt.

They had not proceeded far when they met a

Lion. The Fox, seeing imminent danger,

approached the Lion and promised to

contrive for him the capture of the Ass if the

Lion would pledge his word not to harm the

Fox. Then, upon assuring the Ass that he

would not be injured, the Fox led him to a

deep pit and arranged that he should fall into

it. The Lion, seeing that the Ass was

secured, immediately clutched the Fox, and

attacked the Ass at his leisure.

(108 WORDS)

STORY 4

DIALECT/ACCENT:

A WOLF, who had a bone stuck in his throat,

hired a Crane for a large sum to put her

head into his mouth and draw out the bone.

When the Crane had extracted the bone and

demanded the promised payment, the Wolf,

grinning and grinding his teeth, exclaimed:

“Why, you have surely already had a

sufficient recompense, in having been

permitted to draw out your head in safety

from the mouth and jaws of a wolf.” In

serving the wicked, expect no reward, and

be thankful if you escape injury for your

pains. (94 WORDS)

STORY 5

DIALECT/ACCENT:

A CARTER was driving a wagon along a

country lane, when the wheels sank down

deep into a rut. The rustic driver, stupefied

and aghast, stood looking at the wagon, and

did nothing but utter loud cries to Hercules

to come and help him. Hercules, it is said,

appeared and thus addressed him: “Put your

shoulders to the wheels, my man. Goad on

your bullocks, and never more pray to me

for help until you have done your best to

help yourself, or depend upon it, you will

henceforth pray in vain.” Self-help is the

best help. (97 WORDS)

STORY 6

DIALECT/ACCENT:

A MAN and a Lion traveled together

through the forest. They soon began to boast

of their respective superiority to each other

in strength and prowess. As they were

disputing, they passed a statue carved in

stone, which represented "a Lion strangled

by a Man.” The traveler pointed to it and

said: "See there! How strong we are, and

how we prevail over even the king of

beasts.” The Lion replied: "This statue was

made by one of you men. If we Lions knew

how to erect statues, you would see the Man

placed under the paw of the Lion.” One

story is good, till another is told.

(108 WORDS)

STORY 7

DIALECT/ACCENT:

A RAVEN saw a Swan and desired to

secure for himself the same beautiful

plumage. Supposing that the Swan's

splendid white color arose from his washing

in the water in which he swam, the Raven

left the altars in the neighborhood where he

picked up his living, and took up residence

in the lakes and pools. But cleansing his

feathers as often as he would, he could not

change their color, while through want of

food he perished. Change of habit cannot

alter Nature. (84 WORDS)

PART 3: When you are satisfied that you have correctly entered the numbers of the all the signature sounds and additional features needed in the accent(s) or dialects (s) you are testing, and that the numbers and letters appear directly under the words they refer to, click “save” once more.

Now it’s time for you to record yourself. Make one recording for each dialect you are testing.

When you have recorded yourself to your satisfaction, reading at a conversational tempo (a recording length of about one minute per story should be about right), producing a nice, clear recording free of mike bumps, ‘p’ pops, and extraneous noise, save the recording in mp3 format. Save your work as:

“YourFirstNameYourLastNameNameofDialect”

(e.g. “PaulMeierGermanTest.mp3”)

and record your next passage as a separate file (if you are testing for more than one dialect).

PART 4: When you have finished your recording(s), attach them and this document to an e-mail.

In your e-mail’s subject line, type, “Your Name Screening Test 1.” If the total size of your attachments exceeds your Internet Service Provider’s limit send two or more e-mails with “Your Name Screening Test 2/3/4” etc. as the subject. Feel free to attach them in a compressed “zipped” folder to save space. Our address is: paul@.

We will return them to you within seven days with your examiner’s comments and your score out of 100 points (80% is a passing grade), and our recommendations concerning what, if anything, needs improvement. You will find your examiner’s comments on both this document and at the end of your recording.

Your examiner will tell you if he or she thinks you are ready for the formal examination needed to earn a Paul Meier Certificate of Proficiency.

BREAK A LEG!

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Paul Meier Dialect Services



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