The Centre for Global English conducts research into both linguistic and social aspects of English pronunciation.
Read about our publications, current research projects and research opportunities at the Centre.
Research conducted at the Centre for Global English
The research
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Publications
Rupp, Laura, Amrita Das, Alisah Kamps & Ericka Acosta. MOOC English Pronunciation in a Global World’.
The paper was presented at the 7th International Conference on English Pronunciation: Issues and Practices at Université Grenobles-Alpes in 2022. The publication reports on the first findings from running the MOOC and the opportunities that it has turned out to provide for both pronunciation teaching and research. The publication can be accessed here, amongst other articles from the conference.
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Current research projects
The saliency of English pronunciation features in English learners
Courses/Course books in English pronunciation are frequently based on the perceptions of English language teachers or those of other English speakers. But what do English learners themselves consider salient features in their English pronunciation? Thus far, we have studied Spanish and Vietnamese learners’ perceived saliency of pronunciation features in their English accents. The results of these studies provide valuable input, amongst other things, for prioritizing the teaching of particular English pronunciation features and linguistic stereotyping. The results also helped the Centre develop more regional-specific content for the online course MOOC English Pronunciation in a Global World geared towards Spanish and Vietnamese speakers of English. Funded by VUvereniging.
Language (Dis) Connections in Mixed Classrooms: language attitudes
In the online course MOOC English Pronunciation in a Global World, we deploy methods of the VU Mixed Classroom Educational Model. In this project we examine whether these methods can provide learners with a different perspective on English accents.
In a broader sense, the project tests and helps improve inclusive and active educational processes in online education.
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Research opportunities
We are happy to supervise research-assistants, interns and PhD-researchers in projects on topics in English Pronunciation or using data from the online course MOOC English Pronunciation in a Global World. Should you not be self-supporting, we may be able to direct you to funding opportunities. A potential sample of topics:
- Linguistic features of particular English accents.
- The effectivity of online English pronunciation learning.
You are welcome to contact us!
E-mail: cge@vu.nl