# recordings

Weekly 60-second benchmark recordings live here.

## Why
Level (b) target: *close to native rhythm in rehearsed business sentences*. The only way to hear progress is to record the same passage every week and compare it with the previous week. Your ear forgets; the file does not.

## How to record
- Windows: **Sound Recorder** (search "Sound Recorder" in the Start menu) or Voice Recorder.
- Or easiest: a WhatsApp voice note sent to yourself, saved to `Downloads`, then moved here.
- Hold the laptop 20–30 cm away, quiet room, same volume settings every week so the comparison is fair.

## Naming convention
```
YYYY-MM-DD-benchmark.m4a        e.g. 2026-09-24-benchmark.m4a
YYYY-MM-DD-feature-<name>.m4a   e.g. 2026-10-01-feature-aspiration.m4a
```
One benchmark per week, always the same passage: `reference/pronunciation-routine-and-benchmark.html`.

## Weekly comparison protocol (5 minutes)
1. Play last week's file, then this week's file, one after the other.
2. Score both with the seven-item checklist on the benchmark sheet.
3. Write the one item that did not improve in the log on that sheet.
4. Delete nothing. The first recording is the proof of how far you have come.

**Privacy note:** these files stay on your machine. If you keep them in this folder, do not commit the folder to a public git repository.