This course aims to help students improve their pronunciation of American English sounds through practice and drills. Students will learn to produce vowels and consonants accurately, recognize phonetic symbols, and apply pronunciation rules. Class time will involve theory, drills, and communicative activities. Students will be evaluated through quizzes that test their listening, writing, reading aloud, and oral presentation skills relating to pronunciation. The goal is for students to demonstrate mastery of the English sound system and improve comprehensibility.

1. Advanced Pronunciation
I. Course Description
This course combines theory and practice to help students incorporate actively pronunciation
rules in their speech to sound more natural and fluent. Students will practice extensively the
production of both consonant and vowel sounds in the English language. There will be an
emphasis on the development of fluency and accuracy through conversation practice and
production drills.
II. General Objective
Demonstrate mastery of the vowel and consonant systems in the English language to improve
overall pronunciation and comprehensibility. Common European Framework of Reference
Level: B2
III. Specific Objectives
Produce all the main American English vowel sounds
Recognize vowel and consonant sound phonemic symbols
Spot and avoid common pronunciation mistakes
Contrast troublesome vowel sounds
Produce “exception” words
Pronounce consonant sounds accurately
Differentiate voiceless and voiced consonants
Produce problematic consonants to avoid mistakes
Apply the pronunciation rules for the past tenses
Produce consonant clusters accurately
IV. Contents
Main vowel sounds of American English
Vowel production
Vowels followed by the /r/ sound
Consonants in American English
Voicing
Vowel lengthening
The /t/ sound and its variations
Pronunciation of –ed ending in verbs in the simple past tense
Consonant clusters
Consonant contrasts
Advanced Pronunciation Outline, February 2013

2. Advanced Pronunciation
V. What to Expect
The eclectic approach used in this course combines traditional drills and theory presentation
with communication activities for the development of fluency as well as the accurate production
and perception of sounds. Throughout the class, students are active participants. The
educational leader facilitates the learning experiences by giving explanations, monitoring, and
setting up group work, production practices and communication tasks.
VI. Resources
Course site
http://americanaccent.com/
http://www.betterenglish.org.ph/Pronunciation/Pronunciation.htm
http://www.oupchina.com.hk/dict/phonetic/home.html
http://www.learnersdictionary.com/pronex/pronex.htm
Pronunciation i-Aids (Selected Online Resources for CCCN Students)
CCCN’s LMS (Learning Management System): This is an On-line Platform
that allows you to access course information and mandatory and optional
practices anywhere and anytime. It is also an easy way for you to connect
and interact with your Educational Leader and with classmates through
messages, chat, blogs, forums and e-walls.
Interactive Whiteboards
Textbook with audio CDs: Orion, Gertrude F. (2012). Pronouncing
American English: Sounds, Stress, and Intonation. (3rd Ed.) Boston:
Heinle Cengage Learning.
Educational Advising Office
Conversation Club
Sophia Wanamaker Gallery
Eugene O’Neill Theater
Mark Twain Library
VII. Evaluation
3 Listening Quizzes 30%
3 Written Quizzes 30%
3 Oral Reading Quizzes 30%
1 Oral Presentation 10%
Institutional Mission: To be leaders in innovative language teaching and in the fostering
of cross-cultural experiences.
Advanced Pronunciation Outline, February 2013