Course "My Fair Accent"

Communication studies show that some non-native accent and pronunciation features can undermine and even break down communication in English. However, in most cases, miscommunication is not so much caused by a heavy non-native accent, but by the transfer of pronunciation elements that are specific to the phonological system of each language. 

“My Fair Accent” 16-hour pronunciation course is designed specifically for Russian professionals who use English as a lingua franca in international communication. It focuses on the main divergences between English and Russian sound systems. The course aims to work on the key pronunciation elements (vowels and consonants) that are likely to cause intelligibility problems or may create negative attitudes towards Russian speakers in international communication contexts. 

The course is primarily viewed as a practical training and will end up with a one-on-one test session at which participants will receive individual feedback and recommendations for further development.

Trainer: Tatiana Skopintseva is Chair of the Humanities and Languages Department at New Economic School (NES) in Moscow. Before joining NES, she worked at the Department of English Phonetics at MSLU where she earned her Ph.D. (Kandidat Nauk) and Associate Professor degrees. Tatiana is an IREX alumna (UPenn), a frequent IATEFL speaker, and a former IATEFL PronSIG committee member. 

Dates: March 11 - April 1, on Mondays (16 a/h)
Time: 17:00-20:00
Location: 11 Pokrovsky blvd, К-416

English level requirement: B1+

How do I get accepted? You should be a full-time employee from teaching or research staff at the HSE.

The course is offered on a competitive basis. Please, fill out an online registration form and write a motivation letter in English (about 300 words). You should specify your experience of international communication and public speaking in English and include your main pronunciation difficulties. Please explain how new skills are relevant to your teaching and/or research career.

For more information on how to write a strong motivation letter, please read the AWC blog.