English Pronunciation for a Global World

Discover why successful communication doesn’t require a native speaker accent in today’s world.

English pronunciation cover

Read our position paper to:

  • Discover why international intelligibility is overtaking native-speaker accent as the most relevant pronunciation goal for learners of English today.
  • Learn why you don’t need a native speaker accent to teach and assess pronunciation effectively.
  • Discover why non-native speakers can sometimes serve as better role models for learners.

Learner benefits:

  • Equip learners for effective international communication and prepare them to interact with English speakers from around the world.
  • Contribute to the development of speaking and listening skills.
  • Improve vocabulary development and help students learn to read in English more effectively.

Teacher benefits:

  • Get practical advice from our expert panel to help you teach pronunciation with confidence.
  • Join professional development events and get exclusive classroom resources.

Meet our Expert Panel

We collaborate with an Expert Panel of world-leading academics and educators in English Language Teaching. Why does this matter to you? The Expert Panel ensures that research-based support informs our products and services, meeting your needs and the needs of your students in the best possible way.

Robin Walker

ROBIN WALKER

Robin Walker has been involved in English language teaching since 1981, working as a teacher, teacher educator, materials writer, and consultant. He regularly collaborates with Oxford University Press and Trinity College London, as well as with regional education authorities in Spain, where he lives. He has published numerous articles on pronunciation and is the author of a handbook for teachers, Teaching the Pronunciation of English as a Lingua Franca (2010). An active member of the IATEFL Pronunciation Special Interest Group (PronSIG) since 1997, he was editor of Speak Out!, the respected PronSIG journal, from 2008 to 2015. Robin is the author of this paper.

Ee-ling low

EE-LING LOW

Ee-Ling Low is Dean of Academic and Faculty Affairs (previously Dean of Teacher Education), and Professor of Education (Applied Linguistics and Teacher Learning) at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. She obtained a PhD in Linguistics (Acoustic Phonetics) from the University of Cambridge, UK. She is an internationally renowned expert in teacher education and pronunciation research in relation to world Englishes and applied linguistics, and has been invited to deliver keynote addresses to educational policymakers and stakeholders in the US, UK, Jamaica, Australia, South Africa, and Namibia, as well as in Asia. She is the author of Pronunciation for English as an International Language: From Research to Practice (2015). Ee-Ling is a consultant on this paper.

Jane Setter

JANE SETTER

Jane Setter is Professor of Phonetics at the University of Reading, UK. She is co-editor of the Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary (2011) and author of the popular science book Your Voice Speaks Volumes (2019). Her research interests include teaching and learning English pronunciation, speech prosody in children from atypical populations, and features of the phonology of post-colonial Englishes, such as Hong Kong and Malay-speaker English. A passionate advocate of working with students as partners in the higher education curriculum, she holds a prestigious National Teaching Fellowship award and is a Senior Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy (now Advance HE). Jane is a consultant on this paper.