ESOLLANG 703: Online Coaching: Accent Reduction

Course Description

This short course provides focused instruction and practice on speaking English in personal, academic, and professional situations with greater clarity and effectiveness. Using an online approach with students selecting the times to work through the materials, they learn the key sound patterns of North American English, focusing on word stress, linking, rhythm, intonation, and prosody. Over the five-week course, students improve their speaking clarity through short video lectures, dictation exercises, and practice with an online pronunciation software package. They also receive individualized pronunciation coaching from the instructor via weekly 20-minute tutorials. Students with a requirement in ESOLLANG 695A must complete it before enrolling: a prior course in pronunciation for others is recommended but not required.