Tricky American English Pronunciation

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/tricky-american-english-pronunciation

Introduction

## Course Recommendation: Tricky American English Pronunciation ### Overview If you’ve ever been baffled by the nuances of American English pronunciation, look no further than Coursera’s “Tricky American English Pronunciation” course. Designed for both non-native speakers and anyone looking to refine their English speaking skills, this course dives deep into the intricacies of American pronunciation. It meticulously guides you through both challenging consonant and vowel sounds while also introducing key elements such as intonation, stress, and natural speech patterns—all essential for achieving clarity and fluency in English. ### Course Structure The course is structured to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of pronunciation, focusing on four core segments: 1. **Welcome**: This introductory segment sets the stage for your learning journey. You’ll familiarize yourself with the concept of consonant and vowel sounds, as well as the significance of mastering these elements for effective communication. 2. **Tricky Consonant Sounds**: The first week focuses on consonant sounds, which often trip up learners. Through engaging exercises and quizzes, you’ll identify which consonant sounds challenge you the most and learn practical strategies to differentiate and pronounce them correctly. This foundation is crucial since consonants form the beginning sounds of many common words. 3. **Tricky Vowel Sounds**: In the second week, emphasis shifts to vowels—the smooth sounds that are pivotal for clarity in spoken English. You'll practice various vowel sounds, understanding that mispronouncing them can lead to misunderstandings. The activities are designed not just to teach you, but to ensure that you can apply this knowledge in real-life conversations. 4. **The Music of American English Pronunciation**: Here, you’ll explore the rhythm and melody of American speech. The course teaches you about syllables, stress patterns, and how everyday conversation can make certain words feel shorter or weaker. Understanding this musicality of English can significantly enhance your conversational skills and make you a more effective communicator. 5. **Other Tricky Things**: In the final week, the lessons focus on additional pronunciation challenges. This includes the pronunciation of word endings, commonly confused numbers, and subtle sound differences in everyday expressions. You’ll find this section particularly valuable as it addresses often overlooked phonetic details that can confuse listeners. ### Review “Tricky American English Pronunciation” stands out for several reasons: - **Interactive Learning**: The course provides a variety of interactive exercises, quizzes, and practical examples that keep you engaged. The real-world applications of the skills learned make the material relatable and easier to digest. - **Expert Guidance**: The course is led by experienced instructors who understand the common pitfalls learners face. Their insights and tips on pronunciation add depth to your learning experience. - **Community Support**: Coursera’s platform allows you to interact with fellow learners. This exchange promotes a supportive learning environment where you can practice and receive feedback from peers. - **Flexible Learning**: Being a self-paced course, it accommodates your schedule, allowing you to revisit complex topics as needed, helping reinforce your learning. ### Recommendation I highly recommend the “Tricky American English Pronunciation” course to anyone serious about improving their English speaking skills. Whether you’re preparing for a job interview, wanting to converse more effectively with friends, or simply striving for personal improvement, this course offers invaluable tools that can greatly enhance your pronunciation. By the end of the course, you will notice a marked difference in your clarity and confidence when speaking American English, setting you on the path to becoming an articulate communicator. Take the plunge and sign up for this transformative course on Coursera—your journey toward mastering American English pronunciation starts here!

Syllabus

Welcome

In this course, you will learn about the consonant and vowel sounds of American English and practice some of the difficult sounds. You will also learn about and practice intonation and stress. Practicing these things will help you improve your pronunciation and make your speech easier for others to understand.

In this first week, you will practice the consonant sounds of American English. Consonants are the sounds where the air coming up from your lungs meets some obstacles on the way. The first sounds in the words time, sand, and moon are consonants. After a quick quiz to find out which consonant sounds are the most difficult for you, you’ll practice some pairs of sounds that might be confusing and learn some tricks for telling them apart, and you’ll start to understand how your mouth moves when you say these sounds.

This week, you’ll practice some tricky vowel sounds in American English. Vowels are sounds that come out of your mouth very smoothly, like the first sounds in apple, ocean, and out. Vowel sounds are very important for being understood in English. They’re the “heart” of each syllable, and they need to be said clearly to avoid misunderstanding. Our goal is to help you pronounce English in a way that can be easily understood by listeners in real life, and mastering vowel sounds is an important step toward that goal. Now let’s practice the vowel sounds of American English.

This week, you’ll learn about some things that give English its special rhythm and melody. You’ll learn about syllables—the small chunks of sound that make up the “beats” in words—and word stress—the way some parts of words are emphasized more than others. You’ll also see how some words become shorter and weaker when we talk. Since these words are used very often in ordinary speaking, we can’t understand spoken English without them. Our goal this week is to help you use the music of English to communicate more effectively and to be understood more easily when you speak. Enjoy learning about the music of American English pronunciation.

In this final week of the course, you'll look at a few more tricky points in American English pronunciation. First, you’ll learn about the different ways to pronounce the –s and –ed word endings, which have important grammatical meanings, and you’ll learn when to use each kind of pronunciation. Next, you’ll practice pronouncing numbers like 14 and 40, 15 and 50, 16 and 60 that can cause misunderstandings. You’ll also learn about the pronunciation of the words “can” and “can’t” –the difference between them might surprise you. Finally, you’ll practice some sound changes that happen when words come together in common spoken expressions like "gonna" for "going to," "wanna" for "want to," and "shoulda" for "should have."