Course Overview

English Pronunciation & Accent Training

Course Title: English Pronunciation & Accent Training
Start Date: January 10, 2026
Duration: 20 Hours
Delivery Format: Instructor-led + Practice Labs + Record–Review Sessions
Class Size: Up to 40 Participants

Course Equivalent: 1 Credit Hour
Course Fee: BDT 3,000.00

Course Description

This micro-credential is designed to help learners improve clarity, fluency, and confidence in English communication through structured pronunciation and accent training.
Participants will learn IPA-based sound production, stress and rhythm patterns, intonation techniques, and accent-neutral speaking methods used by global professionals.

The course includes guided practice labs, audio shadowing, and personalized feedback sessions to identify individual pronunciation challenges and build a clear, global, and professional accent suitable for academic, workplace, and public communication.

Syllabus

Module 1: Introduction to Pronunciation Skills

Duration: 1 Hour
Topics:

• Importance of pronunciation for global communication
  
  
• Differences between accent & pronunciation
  
  
• Understanding intelligibility vs. native-like accent
  
  
• Pre-assessment (baseline speaking sample)
  Activities:
  
  
• Students record a 30-second introduction
  
  
• Instructor identifies key pronunciation gaps
  
  

Module 2: International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) – Foundations

Duration: 3 Hours

2.1 Understanding the IPA Chart

• What IPA is & why it matters
  
  
• Vowels, consonants, diphthongs
  
  
• IPA symbols vs regular English spelling
  
  

2.2 Vowel Sounds

• Short vowels: /ɪ/, /ʊ/, /ə/, /ɛ/, /ɒ/, /ʌ/
  
  
• Long vowels: /iː/, /uː/, /ɑː/, /ɜː/
  
  
• Diphthongs: /eɪ/, /aɪ/, /ɔɪ/, /əʊ/, /aʊ/
  
  

2.3 Consonant Sounds

• Plosives: /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, /g/
  
  
• Fricatives: /f/, /v/, /θ/, /ð/, /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/
  
  
• Affricates: /tʃ/, /dʒ/
  
  
• Nasals & Approximants: /m/, /n/, /ŋ/, /l/, /r/, /w/, /j/
  
  

Activities:

• IPA transcription practice
  
  
• Listening discrimination exercises
  
  
• Mouth positioning mirror practice
  
  

Module 3: Producing Difficult English Sounds

Duration: 3 Hours

3.1 Common Problem Sounds for South Asian Speakers

• /θ/ vs /t/ → think vs tink
  
  
• /ð/ vs /d/ → this vs dis
  
  
• /v/ vs /b/
  
  
• /ʃ/ vs /s/
  
  
• Ending consonants: bat, cap, cold
  
  
• Consonant clusters: street, grasp, world
  
  

3.2 Aspiration

• Difference between pin vs. bin
  
  
• /p/, /t/, /k/ aspiration practice
  
  

3.3 Linking Sounds (Connected Speech)

• Linking consonant → vowel
  
  
• Linking vowel → vowel
  
  

Activities:

• Tongue placement drills
  
  
• Minimal pairs practice
  
  
• Reading short passages with focus sounds
  
  

Module 4: Word Stress Mastery

Duration: 3 Hours

4.1 Syllables & Stress Rules

• Identifying syllables
  
  
• Primary & secondary stress
  
  
• Stress patterns for 2-syllable words
  
  
• Stress in 3+ syllable words
  
  

4.2 Stress in Academic & Professional Vocabulary

• Words ending with –tion, –sion, –ic, –ity, –ment
  
  

4.3 Stress Shift in Word Families

• PHOtograph → phoTOgraphy → photoGRAphic
  
  

Activities:

• Stress-marking exercises
  
  
• Clapping/tapping stress beats
  
  
• Rapid word stress drills
  
  

Module 5: Sentence Stress & Rhythm

Duration: 3 Hours

5.1 Content Words vs. Function Words

• Content words are stressed
  
  
• Function words are weak
  
  

5.2 Weak Forms

• /tə/ (to), /fə/ (for), /ən/ (and), /ðə/ (the)
  
  

5.3 Rhythm in English

• Stress-timed vs syllable-timed languages
  
  

Activities:

• Marking stressed & weak words
  
  
• Reading scripts
  
  
• Short speeches emphasizing rhythm
  
  

Module 6: Intonation Patterns

Duration: 3 Hours

6.1 Types of Intonation

• Falling
  
  
• Rising
  
  
• Rise-fall
  
  

6.2 Intonation in Real Situations

• Polite questions
  
  
• Showing interest
  
  
• Presentations
  
  

6.3 Emotional Tone Control

• Confidence
  
  
• Friendliness
  
  
• Formality
  
  

Activities:

• Listening & repeating
  
  
• Dialogue practice
  
  
• Presentation correction
  
  

Module 7: Accent Neutralization

Duration: 2 Hours

7.1 Understanding Neutral Accent

• Global/neutral accent
  
  
• Avoiding strong regional influence
  
  

7.2 Common Accent Reduction Targets

• Sound substitution
  
  
• Clarity, speed, articulation
  
  

7.3 Tools & Techniques

• Shadowing
  
  
• Chunking
  
  
• Thought groups
  
  
• Pausing
  
  

Activities:

• Neutral accent practice
  
  
• Shadowing sessions
  
  
• Script exercises
  
  

Module 8: Applied Practice Lab + Final Assessment

Duration: 2 Hours

8.1 Guided Practice Lab

• Reading aloud
  
  
• Spontaneous speaking tasks
  
  
• Accent correction drills
  
  

8.2 Final Speaking Assessment

• Sound accuracy
  
  
• Word stress
  
  
• Rhythm
  
  
• Intonation
  
  
• Overall clarity
  
  

8.3 Personal Improvement Plan

• Individual feedback
  
  
• Customized practice plan
  

Entry Qualifications

• Students, graduates, and professionals who communicate in English
  
  
• Call center staff, customer service staff, teachers, trainers
  
  
• Anyone seeking clearer and more professional spoken English
  
  
• No advanced English proficiency required
  
  

Career Pathways

• English Communication Specialist
  
  
• Customer Service/Call Center Professional
  
  
• Teacher/Trainer
  
  
• Corporate Communication Officer
  
  
• Public Speaker/Presenter
  
  
• International Job Candidate
  
  

Assessment Criteria

• Practice labs & pronunciation drills – 30%
  
  
• Weekly speaking tasks – 20%
  
  
• Final speaking assessment – 50%
  
  
• Certification: DIU Micro-Credential Certificate in English Pronunciation & Accent Training