This course is catered to those who speak General American English.
Perhaps you are an American expat living in the UK, a diplomat who wishes to blend in with the crowd, or maybe you are an aspiring actor who wishes to master the subtleties of Received Pronunciation. Whatever your goals, this course is for you.
The methods for teaching Received Pronunciation should differ depending on the student's background. Teaching RP to a native English speaker should differ to the methods used for non-native speakers. British English pronunciation and American English pronunciation, while different have many common aspects. The breathing mechanism for both accents is similar, but the use of vowel sounds differs.
In American English, the jaw tends to be more slack, whereas with Received Pronunciation there is more focus on the rounding of the lips. It's really not that difficult for most Americans to put on a British accent, however it can often be too polished, a little old fashioned or the intonation can be a bit too exaggerated. This is fine if you want to develop a command of the British accent for the sole purpose of film and drama, but if you want to blend in with certain circles, you need to be aware of the different forms of RP. There are conservative, traditional and modern forms of RP. We should also be aware of pitch, intonation and voice inflection.
Unlike acting and drama, everyday conversation should come across as natural and not too over the top. You may even notice this with some Hollywood actors. Their command of the British accent can sometimes be almost too perfect, making it sound a little unnatural. This course focuses on the more natural and modern forms of Received Pronunciation. Students are also free to adapt and adjust their accent according to their purpose.
During this course, students are introduced to the International Phonetic Alphabet and given an overview of the differences in the physical movements. We will identify the key differences between the two accents. Once we have covered the basics, we can practice speaking exercises.
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Interested in 1:1 coaching via Zoom? Contact me directly: private_tuition@ receivedpronunciation.com (Please remove the space after the @ sign.)
