eEnglish.com by Pronunciation Power is an online program that runs in the user’s web browser. From beginner to advanced, it grows with the user’s needs focusing on helping the user to speak clearer. It is also used by thousands of schools and corporations across the world to assist in English language training. The paid access provides many products which also includes a new feature, Speech Test. This is a program that is versatile and flexible by allowing the user to set up and monitor usage tracking and also custom modules. One of the features of the program that is appealing to me is the eEnglish demo that can be purchased for $8.99. It provides access to two of the fifty-two sounds eEnglish helps the user to improve. The other full access purchase options include monthly subscriptions at $8.99, $23.99 for three months and $39.99 for six months.

The complete packages include Pronunciation Power 1, Pronunciation Power 2, Pronunciation Power Idioms, 8 in 1 English Dictionary, Introductory Grammar and Vocabulary, Pronunciation Power Speech Test and Usage Tracker. The program can be used from old to young. I was especially drawn to trying the program for my eleven-year-old as with homeschooling, I don’t have access to the usual school speech therapist as I did when I was a child. I found this to be a viable solution to provide extra help in teaching her to pronounce certain sounds and letters correctly. The eEnglish by Pronunciation Power Speech Test starts with an initial speech recognition test that will automatically provide the user with pronunciation errors. A microphone is required since it utilizes voice recognition.

I did find the program easy to use and found the speech test was very accurate from the sounds I knew she was having trouble with. The 52 sounds covered all the sounds she had issues with and the microphone interaction provided her with the feel of it being a serious tool to help her improve her speech. The animated graphics really help to show how the sounds are made as can be hard to explain to a child how to move your tongue to make the required sound. The practice exercises were of the right length to keep her from being inundated with too much or from becoming bored. Finding the lesson that corresponded with the sound deficiency was easy and quick to find. The guide under My Account provides the information needed to move up to go from Level 1 to Level 4.

Overall, it’s a very intuitive and user-friendly program to help improve speech. It did require time from me to understand how it worked but I think that with any good sound program, the parent would want to thoroughly understand it. I would recommend this to any child experiencing difficulty with pronouncing certain letters as well as for anyone attempting to learn English for the first time.

-Product review by Judy Joyce, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, November, 2018.