American Accent: Top 10 Essentials

Everything you need to master the essentials of the American Accent with Julie Cunningham, an American accent coach.

What you'll learn
You'll learn the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) of each consonant of American English.
You'll learn the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) of each vowel of American English, including the front, central, and back vowels.
Then you'll learn how to pronounce the most challenging consonants of American English, the R and T consonants, with detailed videos.
And you'll learn how to pronounce the most challenging vowels of American English, the AH /ɑ/, UH /ʌ/, EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ vowels, with detailed videos.
You'll learn how to identify and pronounce stressed and unstressed syllables in American English.
You'll learn how to master American English rhythm with the most common word reductions.
You'll learn how to smooth out your spoken American English through linking in connected speech.
You'll complete quizzes at the end of each section to solidify your learning.
You'll enhance your American English speaking skills with downloadable PDFs of every exercise from each lecture.
You'll gain confidence in your speaking skills as you learn the American accent from a native speaker of American English.
You'll receive feedback from Julie in the Q&As in each lecture, or you may attend a live, weekly English class called Julie's Conversation Club.
Requirements
Intermediate and above English-level proficiency
You will learn everything you need to know about how to pronounce the top 10 essentials of the American accent. In order to make the most progress, you will need to dedicate time each day to your practice. Consistent practice will make the biggest difference in your outcome!
Description
Not sure where to start your American accent training?Start here with this course! Learn the top 10 essentials of the American accent with Julie Cunningham, a licensed speech-language pathologist and professional American accent and voice coach! What will I learn?You'll learn the top 10 essentials of the American accent through detailed lessons on:how to identify and pronounce stressed and unstressed syllables in American Englishhow to master American English rhythm with the most common word reductions.the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) of every vowel and consonant of American Englishhow to pronounce the most challenging consonants of American English, the R and T consonantshow to pronounce the most challenging vowels of American English, the AH /ɑ/, UH /ʌ/, EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ vowelshow to smooth out your spoken American English through linking in connected speechEach chapter also includes pronunciation videos, helpful text explanations, downloadable worksheets, and chapter quizzes to test your knowledge.Who should take this course?This speaking course was designed to improve the clarity and fluency of non-native speakers of American English. However, if you are a native speaker of English who grew up speaking another dialect or accent and you want to learn more about the American accent, you could also benefit from this course.What English skill level should I have before I take this course?The material in this course is best for a skill level of intermediate and above. However, I would encourage beginners of English to enroll and try to follow along with the videos and exercises (captions are available). It's never too early to start learning about American English pronunciation!Why should I take this course on the American accent?Pronunciation can't be learned from a book. Once a word is spoken out loud, its pronunciation often changes, and the only way to learn about that pronunciation is to listen to native speakers and then imitate them. This course will give you the opportunity to do just that - listen to and imitate native speakers of American English, with helpful pronunciation tips and guidance along the way.But even more important is this course will teach you the rules that govern American English pronunciation, such as:How a vowel is different from a consonantWhich words to stress and destress in a sentenceHow to reduce the vowel in an unstressed syllableAs you become more aware of the sounds and patterns of spoken American English, your pronunciation skills will greatly improve!

Overview

Section 1: Welcome to the American Accent: Top 10 Essentials Course!

Lecture 1 A message from Julie

Lecture 2 A message from Julie

Section 2: Syllables and Stress

Lecture 3 Syllables and Stress

Lecture 4 Syllables and Stress

Lecture 5 Stress in Sentences

Lecture 6 Stress in Sentences

Section 3: International Phonetic Alphabet: Consonants

Lecture 7 The International Phonetic Alphabet of the American English Consonants

Lecture 8 The International Phonetic Alphabet of the American English Consonants

Lecture 9 Place, Manner, and Voicing of the American English Consonants

Lecture 10 Place, Manner, and Voicing of the American English Consonants

Lecture 11 Online Resources

Section 4: International Phonetic Alphabet: Vowels

Lecture 12 The International Phonetic Alphabet of the American English Vowels

Lecture 13 The International Phonetic Alphabet of the American English Vowels

Lecture 14 The Vowels of American English

Lecture 15 The Vowels of American English

Section 5: AH /ɑ/ and UH /ʌ/ Vowels

Lecture 16 How to Pronounce the AH /ɑ/ and UH /ʌ/ Vowels

Lecture 17 How to Pronounce the AH /ɑ/ and UH /ʌ/ Vowels

Lecture 18 AH /ɑ/ and UH /ʌ/ Vowels: Minimal Pairs Listening Quiz

Lecture 19 AH /ɑ/ and UH /ʌ/ Vowels: Minimal Pairs Listening Quiz

Lecture 20 AH /ɑ/ and UH /ʌ/ Vowels: Visual Test

Lecture 21 AH /ɑ/ and UH /ʌ/ Vowels: Visual Test

Section 6: EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ Vowels

Lecture 22 EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ Vowels

Lecture 23 EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ Vowels

Lecture 24 EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ Vowels: Minimal Pairs Listening Quiz

Lecture 25 EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ Vowels: Minimal Pairs Listening Quiz

Lecture 26 EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ Vowels: Visual Test

Lecture 27 EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ Vowels: Visual Test

Section 7: The Three T /t/ Sounds

Lecture 28 How to Pronounce the Three T /t/ Sounds in American English

Lecture 29 How to Pronounce the Three T /t/ Sounds in American English

Lecture 30 The American T /t/ in Sentences: Linking with T

Lecture 31 The American T /t/ in Sentences: Linking with T

Section 8: The American R /ɹ/ and R-colored Vowels

Lecture 32 How to Pronounce the American R /ɹ/ Consonant

Lecture 33 How to Pronounce the American R /ɹ/ Consonant

Lecture 34 The American R /ɹ/ as a Consonant and a Vowel

Lecture 35 The American R /ɹ/ as a Consonant and a Vowel

Section 9: Unstressed Syllables and Word Reductions

Lecture 36 Unstressed Syllables and Word Reductions

Lecture 37 Unstressed Syllables and Word Reductions

Lecture 38 Word Reductions: Function Words

Lecture 39 Word Reductions: Function Words

Lecture 40 One note about Stress and Intonation

Section 10: Linking in Connected Speech

Lecture 41 Linking in Connected Speech

Lecture 42 Linking in Connected Speech

Lecture 43 Vowel to Vowel Linking

Lecture 44 Vowel to Vowel Linking

Lecture 45 Sentence Analysis: Parks and Recreation

Lecture 46 Sentence Analysis: Parks and Recreation

Section 11: Next Steps in Accent Reduction Training

Lecture 47 The Best Way to Practice your English Pronunciation

Lecture 48 The Best Way to Practice your English Pronunciation

Lecture 49 Next Steps in Accent Reduction Training and Helpful Resources

Lecture 50 Next Steps in Accent Reduction Training and Helpful Resources

Lecture 51 More resources for you

Non-native speakers of American English who are at an intermediate level or above,University-level students who want to increase their chances of landing their dream job when they enter the workforce,Professionals who want to enhance their professional English skills as they move up into leadership roles at work,Fluent, non-native English speakers who want to speak English clearly and with confidence