image description

Israeli Accent

Intermediate - Advanced

A course that will give non-native Hebrew speakers the confidence to speak and sound like a local Israeli.

Course Description

Accent plays a significant role in conveying meaning and intention. Without familiarity with the accent, you can be lost in translation when speaking to native speakers. This course aims to enhance your communication skills and pronunciation in Hebrew for practical use. You will establish a solid base in conversational Hebrew by keying into the accent and word choice components that come naturally. This course will help you build confidence in the language by identifying key sounds, words, and other relevant patterns, and have fun doing it!

After this 15 week course, you will:

  • Develop an understanding of sounds in Hebrew that differ most from English, Spanish, Portuguese etc.
  • Connect phrases and employ proper rhythm when using fixed colloquial expressions
  • Start moving away from literal, sound-for-sound ‘translations’ from English to Hebrew
  • Advance listening comprehension

Over the course of 15 weeks you will be taught unique ways of improving your accent, get an introduction to Hebrew vowel and consonant sounds and learn how to pronounce resh + chet / chaf. Most of all, you’ll get to practice! You’ll practice how to pronounce the Hebrew letters like an Israeli and be able to produce the different tonalities Israelis use while speaking. By the end of the course you’ll be able to say full sentences fluently and confidently with your newly acquired Israeli accent.

Syllabus Summary

  1. What is an accent?

    Main Lesson:
    Our Learning Process
    The Language Identity Flow Chart
    3 Different Types of Sounds

  2. Practice

    Get to know the group and their challenges with Hebrew speaking.
    Provide general feedback for this specific group to determine where to focus / how to adjust for the remainder of the course.
    Lots of speaking, lots of sharing, finding common ground, etc.

  3. Intro To Hebrew Vowel Sounds

    Main Lesson:
    How Many Vowel Sounds Are There?
    Diphthongs (Straight vs. Moving Vowels)
    Easy vs. Not-so-easy Vowel Sounds

  4. Practice

    This is the chance to really hear the unique subtleties between our native accents and target sounds. We'll use conversation and games with minimal pairs to highlight these key differences.

  5. Unstressed Vowel Sounds

    Main Lesson:
    Pure Vowels (Oral Posture + Lip Position)
    How To Pronounce ה ,ו ,ש ,ל ,ב
    Linking Practice with Function Words

  6. Practice

    This is the most important sound to receive feedback on since it's the hardest to hear by yourself. We'll continue the practice of linking within common idioms, and bring back up some of the most common mispronunciations of vowels sounds, specifically plural ים and pronunciation of ל when beginning infinitive forms.

  7. Intro To Consonant Sounds

    Main Lesson:
    P T K Sounds In Hebrew (+ Dalet)
    Pronouncing Lamed
    Allophones of T and D

  8. Practice

    While the vowel practice requires more precision with mouth shape and form, consonants are a little easier to discuss. They involve touching tongues to teeth and gum ridges and are more or less measurable and demonstrable. We'll use this session to practice tricky words with our consonant sounds workshop and particularly bring up common phrases to continue to apply each session to the real life conversation.

  9. How To Pronounce Resh + Chet / Chaf

    Main Lesson:
    Allophones of Resh
    Clusters with Resh
    Most Challenging Hebrew Words

  10. Practice

    Let's flip accent learning on its head! This week we work to imitate Israeli accents in English. The goal is to not have to think about the words but simply isolate the sounds. Using English as the word base, we then can focus on how an Israeli brain would go about saying this word. For example, is Dadדֶד or דַד? What about Dead? We'll answer these questions and much more during our practice week with Resh and Chet.

  11. Intro To Prosody

    Main Lesson:
    How to Parse a Hebrew Sentence
    Review Function vs. Content Words
    Tonality: Asking Questions + Making Statements

  12. Practice

    We'll start reading more short phrases and moving up to reading longer paragraphs with a focus on parsing and attention to stress. Students will start asking themselves, "Where's the emphasis in this phrase?" They'll see the relationship between our tonality and rhythmic stress.

  13. Strategy + Practical Applications

    Main Lesson:
    Anticipating Common Questions
    How to Best Use Practice Time
    Review Our Process
    Answer Any Final Questions

  14. Practice

    An to come together and discuss what we've taken away from the experience. We'll share the things that we're excited to implement as well as the characteristics we're still working through, but with form and technique. We'll share some resources for listening practice and shadowing as well as the next steps for taking Hebrew pronunciation to a more solid, consistent place.

  15. Final overview of course

Register online and get exclusive access to extra content

In addition to the course you will gain access to both our live and recorded webinars discussing fascinating Israeli topics. It’s time to deepen your connection to Israel through modern Hebrew.

All our courses include

Online Forum
Ask questions any time
Teachers and students have open questions regarding course topics
Access to recordings of your live lessons
Missed your live lesson? Don't worry, simply view the recording
Technical Support
available 24/7
We are here to help you with any technical issue
Extra Practice Sessions
A weekly Q&A session in addition to the regular lesson

Have a Question?

  • How does the course work?

    We teach live classes online: a teacher and a small group of students meet once a week through their home computer. We use video conference technology that allows live student-teacher interaction. You can fully participate in the lesson by using the microphone or the chat box.

  • What if I miss a lesson?

    Don’t worry, all the live lessons are also recorded and available on-demand. You can review them at any time.

  • What qualifications do your teachers have?

    All our teachers have a teaching certificate and are approved by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. They are all native Hebrew speakers, providing students with a well-rounded education in Hebrew language and Israeli culture.

  • What is your cancellation policy?

    You may cancel your course up to 7 days after registration and get a full refund, unless your course has already started. To see our cancellation policy, click here.

    In case you have decided to cancel your participation please note that virtual classrooms, like any other classrooms, have limited capacity. Demand for our classes is high and late cancellation prevent other students from obtaining a spot in the upcoming semester.

     

    Students who wish to cancel their participation are entitled to a partial refund as seen below:

    • 100% Refund (0% of course tuition due): Up to 7 days from the date of your registration, unless your course has already started.
    • 75% Refund (25% of course tuition due): Cancellation prior to your 1st scheduled lesson.
    • 25% Refund (75% if course tuition due): Up to 30 days from your 1st scheduled lesson.
    • 0% Refund (100% of course tuition due): After 30 days from the 1st scheduled lesson.

    To read our full cancellation policy, click here.

  • Class time zones – what time do your classes start?

    We teach Sunday to Friday according to your local time zone. You are welcome to check the schedule and assign yourself to a time that’s most suitable for you.

  • Do I need to purchase special equipment for the courses?

    All you need is a working computer with an internet connection and you’re set. We work with Windows and Mac operating systems.

  • How much does it cost?

    The total tuition for the course is $970.

  • Can I pay in installments?

    Yes, you can pay in 9 monthly installments.