The Pronunciation of American English by UCI (Coursera)
Many young students and professionals don’t have a chance to learn and practice speaking English with native speakers. This specialization program has been developed by the University of California, Irvine and is intended to teach such learners to communicate with clearer and more accurate pronunciation of American English. It helps to improve their speaking ability with practical examples and explanation from professional teachers.
There are 4 courses in this program, where learners understand and practice the sounds of American English that might sometimes be confusing.
- In the first course they learn the consonant sounds of American English
- In the second course they learn the vowel sounds of American English
- In the third course they learn about the things that give English its special “music,” for example, how to stress the right syllable in a word, how to make your voice go up and down in a natural-sounding melody, and how to naturally connect sounds and words.
- The final course involves a project where learners take a test, review all the sounds of English, analyse a speech, and share advice on improving pronunciation with other learners
In each course learners get to practice an effective technique called shadowing to improve their pronunciation of sounds. All these practical exercises enable learners to be understood and also to understand others in real-life oral communication.
Key Highlights
- Achieve clearer, more understandable pronunciation of American English to communicate easily and effectively
- Learn and practice the consonant and vowel sounds of American English that are particularly tricky and easy to confuse
- Learn the features of pronunciation such as stress, rhythm, and intonation that help to improve listening comprehension
- Each course provides practical advice from successful English learners
- Improve your pronunciation by practicing realistic dialogues and other interactive exercises
Duration : 4 months, 5 hours per week
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