COURSE OVERVIEW

Very often, even people with good knowledge of English have difficulties in listening comprehension and conversation. In English, there is no perfect correspondence between written words and the way they are pronounced. This leads to unavoidable difficulties when it comes to understanding the message expressed by our interlocutor if we are not sufficiently trained, and even greater difficulties when we have to interact orally if we are not quite sure of the correct pronunciation of words.

Having a good pronunciation helps us not only to be better understood, but also to understand natives more easily. It is important to know that even if our audience understands what we are saying, an incorrect pronunciation may be perceived as funny, irritating, or may cause our listeners to become distracted or even stop paying attention to what we are saying. Moreover, views and opinions about our ability to speak English depend very much on the impression our pronunciation makes on the people we are talking to: if our pronunciation is poor, our English will be judged as poor, even if we are proficient in grammar, vocabulary, reading and writing. It is therefore of paramount importance to master the language not only from a syntactic and lexical point of view, but also from a phonetic one.

During the lessons, in which group practice and individual feedback will be provided, the following topics will be covered:

• sounds and meaning
• consonant and vowel sounds of BrE and AmE
• relationship between spelling and sound
• accentuation and rhythm
• weakening and coarticulation processes
• intonation and meaning

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Thanks to this course, participants will:
• learn the symbols of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and the pronunciation of contemporary British and American English
• improve their ability to understand spoken English
• express themselves more clearly and effectively.

COURSE ORGANISATION

• The course will consist of a cycle of 5 lessons which will take place weekly.
• Each lesson will last 60 minutes.
• Lessons will be held online (Skype) in synchronous mode and will be taught by Alessandro Rotatori.
• The lessons will be organised in small groups to allow participants to receive personalised feedback from the course tutor.
• The course will be delivered in English.
• A certificate of attendance will be issued upon completion of the course.

REQUIREMENTS

• The course is aimed at everyone who is interested in improving their English language skills (professionals, teachers, students…).
• As the course will be held in English, a good understanding of the language is required..
• Participants do not need to have any prior knowledge of phonetics or linguistics as the teacher will provide all theoretical explanations and practical exercises.
• A stable Internet connection is required and the use of a headset and microphone is recommended.