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English Pronunciation in a Global World

In this course, you will improve your English pronunciation skills and learn about speaking English in today's globalised world.

130,128 enrolled on this course

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English Pronunciation in a Global World

130,128 enrolled on this course

  • 4 weeks

  • 4 hours per week

  • Digital certificate when eligible

  • Intermediate level

Find out more about how to join this course

  • Duration

    4 weeks
  • Weekly study

    4 hours
  • 100% online

    How it works
  • Unlimited subscription

    $244.99 for a whole yearLearn more

Discover some of the English pronunciation rules

Through this course, you’ll have a greater understanding of some of the rules of English pronunciation. As well as looking at pronunciation features such as vowels, consonants, stress and intonation, you’ll also learn about different English accents.

Set goals to improve your English pronunciation

A huge range of people need to be able to speak English in today’s globalised world. This means that you’ll need to understand, and be understandable to, other speakers of English.

This course can help you set and reach your personal goals for English pronunciation.

Explore different English pronunciation in use

Throughout this course, you’ll explore a variety of different English accents, helping you to understand some of the differences between your pronunciation and that of other English-speaking people.

These examples of different English pronunciations in use can help to provide context on how English is spoken around the world and why diversity in spoken English should be appreciated.

Develop your ability to speak and understand English

In the course, you’ll find out which English pronunciation features are important for mutual understanding. In exercises and videos, you will practise English pronunciation features and examine other learners’ pronunciations.

By the end of the course, you will have improved your English pronunciation so you will feel confident about speaking English in different contexts.

Hear from our course team

You can take this course at any time.

We will run a facilitated edition of the MOOC from 7 April-2 May 2025. During this time, you can communicate with us directly.

Meanwhile, you are welcome to contact us for any questions, thoughts, etc. by leaving comments in the MOOC for our mentors, following us on Instagram or sending a message to our Facebook page.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 17 seconds Hello, everyone. [INTERPOSING VOICES] Hello, I’m Laura Rupp. Welcome to the course English Pronunciation in a Global World here at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands. English has become the major language for international communication. It is estimated that the ratio between native and non-native speakers is currently 1 to 4, and that no less than 80% of communication happens between non-native speakers. This situation has led to much diversity in English. In fact, some would even go as far to suggest that it’s no longer appropriate to speak of English in the singular but rather of English in the plural, so Englishes. Hi my name’s Jasmin Palmer, I’m from Yorkshire in England. My name is Benjamin Ado Baafi.

Skip to 1 minute and 5 seconds I was born in the Netherlands but raised in Ghana. I’m Yingying, I’m from China. Hi, my name’s Alex Ventimilla. I was born in Mexico. But I grew up in Nevada in the United States. Hi, I’m Marieke de Rooij, and I come from the Netherlands. Hello my name is Brenda Marini, I’m from Pisa in Italy. Hi, I’m Amrita. I’m originally from India. My name is Vinod Subramaniam. I’m originally from India, but have spent about 11 years in the U.S., many years in Germany, a couple of years in England, and the last 14 years in the Netherlands. And these are only A FEW examples.

Skip to 1 minute and 42 seconds A world where English is used as a lingua franca calls for a set of new and complex pronunciation skills. We have to decide what accent we want or may need to speak with, suited for different occasions. It is important to understand each other’s accents, but that doesn’t mean we should all adopt the standard accent. We should embrace variation. And we need to speak English and at the same time stay true to our native identity and culture. In this course, we will help you develop pronunciation skills that are both useful in international communication and appropriate for you at a professional and personal level.

Skip to 2 minutes and 18 seconds In the first week of the course, we will discuss what is important in English pronunciation in a global world. And you will formulate tailor-made goals for your own English pronunciation. In the next three weeks, we will address particular features of English pronunciation. How does it work when we pronounce certain sounds? What is the difference between saying “Tyoos-day” and “Toos-day”? By doing exercises, you apply what you’ve learned to your own English accent according to the goals that you’ve set for yourself in the first week. We’ll also explain how pronunciation features may vary between different English accents, which will enable you to understand the differences between your English accent and that of other speakers.

Skip to 2 minutes and 58 seconds Last but not least, we’ll reflect on the nature of different English accents. We’ll introduce you to other students in the course so that together, we can celebrate diversity. I’m your host and I look forward to guiding you through the course. We very much hope that you will enjoy it!

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    What is important in English pronunciation?

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image containing the word 'welcome' in a number of different languages.

      Introduction

      We will discuss important issues in English pronunciation in a global world: intelligibility (understandability), credibility and personal identity. We will also outline the learning objectives of week 1.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of a globe, where a British English, an Indian English and an African English speakers say 'How are you?' in their own personal manner.

      Sharing our English pronunciations and experiences speaking English

      You and your fellow students will share your English pronunciations and experiences speaking English. This hands-on exposure and exchange of information will raise your awareness of variation in English pronunciation.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of a salesman who sells English sounds.

      Needs assessment

      The goal of the needs assessment is to identify your current needs regarding English pronunciation. We will use the results of the needs assessment to determine directions for your learning in the course.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of a dart board. The targets are English sounds.

      Setting goals for your English pronunciation

      You have discussed, shared and reflected on a number of issues regarding English pronunciation in a global world. You will now set personal English pronunciation goals that you would like to achieve in this course.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of a microphone for recording.

      Making a recording of your English pronunciation

      You will make an audio-recording of your English pronunciation. Your recording will be peer-reviewed by another learner in the course. You will, in turn, peer-review the recording of another learner.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of a football shirt with 'rhoticity' as team name.

      One major difference between English accents: rhoticity

      You will watch a video that explains the feature of rhoticity. Rhotic and non-rhotic accents will be illustrated in the word list and in the reading passage. You will also practise a (non-)rhotic accent in two exercises.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of a computer screening Google Hangouts.

      Ask your educator questions online

      You will have the opportunity to consult with your educator and your mentors online. You can discuss the goals that you have set for your English pronunciation, ask them for advice, or raise any other questions that you may have.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of the reflection of a person in water.

      Reflection

      At the end of the first week you will reflect on what you have learnt in the past week and the outlook for the next three weeks.

  • Week 2

    English vowels

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of a wonderwheel with English vowels.

      Introduction

      We will list the vowels in English and examine their properties. We will also indicate the way in which non-native speakers may pronounce them and the impact on intelligibility. We will end with this week's objectives.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of a tape measure.

      Vowel length (short and long vowels)

      You will watch a video that explains two different notions of vowel length. You will listen to long and short vowels in English and analyse them. You will practise pronouncing short and long vowels in four exercises.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of an ash tree and the symbol /æ/.

      The TRAP-vowel

      The sound /æ/ (from 'ash' tree) is known as the TRAP-vowel because it occurs in the word 'trap'. You will watch a video that explains the history of /æ/ and variation in its pronunciation. You will practise /æ/ in three exercises.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of a nurse with the symbol for the NURSE-vowel on her uniform.

      The NURSE-vowel

      The NURSE-vowel occurs in words like 'turn', 'word' 'bird' and 'heard'. The pronunciation of the NURSE-vowel is no longer predictable from spelling and some languages don't have it. You can analyse and practise the vowel here.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of a model who struts on the catwalk. The symbol for the STRUT-vowel appears on her clothing.

      Pronunciation and language change: the STRUT-vowel

      In English, many words are not pronounced like they are written. The mismatch is due to various language changes that have occurred in the history of English. We will focus on the development and pronunciation of the STRUT-vowel.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of twins; one of whom has the symbol /ɑ/ on his clothing and the other the opposite symbol /ɒ/.

      The vowels 'oh' and 'ah'

      In British English, several words that are pronounced with the short vowel [ɒ] and the long vowel [ɔː] have an unexpected spelling. In American English, these words are pronounced with the unrounded vowels [ɑ] and [ɑː], resp.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of a goat.

      The diphthongs FACE and GOAT

      You will listen and repeat phrases and sentences with the diphthongs FACE and GOAT. You will also analyse the different way in which many speakers of English pronounce these diphthongs.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image showing a checklist with words from the word list.

      Application to the word list

      You will apply what you have learnt regarding rhoticity and the vowels of English by practising the word list. Further, you will take a test to assess your learning and analytical skills.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of the reflection of a person in water.

      Reflection

      At the end of the second week you will reflect on what you have learnt in the past week and the outlook for the next two weeks.

  • Week 3

    English consonants

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of a traffic sign containing a Welsh place name with many consonants.

      Introduction

      We will list the consonants in English and examine their properties. We will also indicate the way in which non-native speakers may pronounce them and the impact on intelligibility. We will end with this week's objectives.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of consonants clusters on a Scrabble board.

      Consonant clusters

      Just as there are clusters of stars in the sky, English has consonant clusters (CCs). You will watch a video that describes CCs and analyse how CCs are broken up by some speakers of English. You will practise CCs in an exercise.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image in which the US Statue of Liberty is wearing a face mask to protect her from SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).

      Consonant features

      There are a number of features that are associated with consonants in English. You will read about these features in articles, listen to the way they are pronounced in videos, and practise them in exercises.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of a police officer reading the rights to te letter E.

      Silent letters

      You have the right to remain silent ... In some English words, letters are not pronounced. Why? We will explain the reasons for their being silent and you will do an exercise that will help you memorise silent letters in English.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image depicting the word 'endings' written in sand on a beach and being washed away by the sea.

      Word endings

      In some languages, words only end in a vowel. In English, however, it is important to pronounce consonants at the end of a word or you may not be understood. You will analyse and practise word endings in two exercises.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of a magician pulling out strings of consonants.

      Tricky consonants

      There are a number of consonants that are difficult to pronounce for non-native speakers (see step 3.3. again). You can practise them here.

    • An image of a computer screen.

      Interacting with your educator and mentors

      In week 4 we will hold a LIVE session in which you will be able to interact with your educator and mentors. In this step you are invited to submit a question or a contribution for the live session.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image showing a checklist with words from the word list.

      Application to the word list

      You will apply what you have learnt this week regarding the pronunciation of consonants in English by practising the word list. Further, you will take a test to assess your learning and analytical skills.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of the reflection of a person in water.

      Reflection

      At the end of the third week week you will reflect on what you have learnt in the past week and the outlook for the next week.

  • Week 4

    Suprasegmental features in English

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of a collection of sign posts and road signs.

      Introduction

      Suprasegmental features apply to speech units larger than sounds. They can be used to convey meaning in addition to the meaning of words. We will discuss four suprasegmental features and outline this week's learning objectives.

    • An image of a computer screen.

      Live session

      We invite you to participate in our live session! We will answer and comment on the queries that you submitted in week 3. We will also announce the winner of the most insightful comment made during the past three weeks.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of the well-known poster: Keep calm and carry on.

      Stress

      We will discuss English stress patterns and explain how they differ from other languages. You will examine the ways in which stress can convey meaning and you will analyse the stress properties of commonly mispronounced words.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of a girl engaged in a speech act against the background of intonation contours.

      Intonation

      In English, speakers lower or raise their pitch over stretches of speech to conduct speech acts, like making statements, asking questions etc. You can analyse and practise intonation here.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of a linked chain.

      Linking and fluency

      We will discuss the phenomenon of 'linking' in English. You will practise and analyse linking in three video's. There's also an exercise for you to practise fluency.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of a giraffe and a camel running.

      Analysing the reading passage

      You will take a test to assess your learning and analytical skills. You will be asked to spot suprasegmental features in the reading passage, which you will record for a second time this week as a final assessment.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of an audio- and recording device.

      Assessing your English pronunciation

      In this exercise, you listen to the words in the word list in a British or American English accent. You will then record your own version of the words and compare your pronunciation to the audio file. How similar do they sound?

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of a microphone for recording.

      Making a second recording of your English pronunciation

      You will make a second audio-recording of your English pronunciation. You will select at least TWO pronunciation features to work on. We will compare your first and second recording to assess the progress that you have made.

    • © 2019 Tim Schoonhoven. An image of a person's reflection in water.

      Reflection and a short questionnaire

      At the end of the fourth week we have come to the end of the course. You will reflect on what you have learnt during the week and look beyond the course.

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

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Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Describe features of English pronunciation that are important for mutual understanding.
  • Explain the differences between your own English pronunciation and that of speakers with other linguistic backgrounds.
  • Apply what you have learnt to your own English pronunciation.
  • Reflect on the nature of different English accents.

Who is the course for?

This course is for anyone who needs to speak English, in their studies, for work or in their personal lives. If you want to improve your English pronunciation, this is the ideal opportunity to set and achieve goals.

What do people say about this course?

I have thoroughly enjoyed this course and learnt so much. Thank you!

"I have thoroughly enjoyed this course and learnt so much. Thank you! I'd never thought about how pronunciation relates to identity. I've also greatly enjoyed reading the posts from all over the world."

The educators show commitment and deep involvement on a crucial topic.

"The most remarkable thing that I learnt is the commitment of the educators as well as their deep involvement focusing on a crucial topic. It helped me to give a better sound to what I say in English."

Who will you learn with?

Laura Rupp

I am a Senior Lecturer in English Linguistics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. My research is in grammatical variation and change. I teach courses in Global English and English pronunciation.

Amanda Whyte-Elsherif

I am a student at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, studying Communication and Information Studies with a focus on Language and Media. My interests include English as a lingua franca studies.

Cecilia Montenegro Pérez

I am a Literature and Society student at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. When it comes to languages, I am particularly curious about the connection between language, culture, and society.

Who developed the course?

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam logo

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam’s English department at Amsterdam offers first-class education and cutting-edge research in variation and change in the English language and English literature.

Endorsers and supporters

funded by

VUvereniging

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Choose the best way to learn for you!

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$244.99 for a whole year

Automatically renews

Develop skills to further your career

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  • Access to 1,000+ courses
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Tests to boost your learning
  • Digital certificate when you're eligible

Cancel for free anytime

Buy this course

$79/one-off payment

Fulfill your current learning need

  • Access to this course
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Tests to boost your learning
  • Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible

Limited access

Free

Sample the course materials

  • Access expires 5 Mar 2025

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Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.

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