Pronunciation matters

About this book:

Pronunciation raises many questions. Since learners of English are exposed to a bewildering variety of native and non-native Englishes, they are challenged to reflect on the importance of accent - both in their own English and in that of others. New developments in teaching, and the introduction of common European standards, have also prompted teachers to incorporate pronunciation training into their curricula.

In this collection, contributors discuss the most recent research on pronunciation issues to provide insight into matters of teaching, testing and the wider communicative context, ranging from Business English as a Lingua Franca to English communication between the Dutch and the Chinese.

About the editors:

Rias van den Doel was educated at Utrecht University and Trinity College Dublin, and has 
taught English to university students in the Netherlands (Leiden and Utrecht), Spain, Poland 
and China. He is now affiliated to Utrecht University, where he runs courses in pronunciation 
training,  intercultural  communication  and  World  Englishes.  His  chief  research  interest  is 
English linguistic diversity and its consequences for L2 acquisition.

Laura Rupp was educated at Utrecht University and the University of Essex, and has taught 
English  to  university  students  in  the  Netherlands,  England,  and  Ghana.  She  is  now  an 
Assistant  Professor  at  the  Vrije  Universiteit  Amsterdam,  where  she  teaches  courses  in 
pronunciation training and Global English. Her current research is on language variation and 
change and second language acquisition in English.