The Online English Pronunciation Course
* Shortlisted for the British Council ELTons Awards *
Interactive Learning
Tailored to Your Native Language
Learn Anytime, Anywhere

The Online English Pronunciation Course
* Shortlisted for the British Council ELTons Awards*

Interactive Learning
Tailored to Your Native Language
Learn Anytime, Anywhere
Learn about the course
- Tailored to your native language
Train your speech muscles
Learn about vowels, consonants, rhythm + intonation
Get live support in the online classroom
Games, video lessons, mouth animations
Speak more clearly and more confidently
- Tailored to your native language
Train your speech muscles
- Learn about vowels, consonants, rhythm + intonation
- Take part in live classes
- Games, video lessons, mouth animations
Speak more clearly and more confidently
"an innovative and expertly-presented resource"
The British Council
Your teacher

Hi, my name’s Luke and I’m a British accent coach based in London. I have qualifications in languages, acting, teaching and phonetics and I’m a member of the International Phonetic Association.
I created this course because I was frustrated at the lack of high-quality teaching materials for contemporary British English pronunciation.
Since setting up my business in 2012, I’ve taught students from 90 different countries. I also lecture at the Summer Course in English Phonetics at University College London (UCL).
In 2017, I won UK Freelancer of the Year. You can find out more about me here.
Online Classroom

As a course subscriber, you can join my online classroom sessions for free coaching.
You can ask me questions in the chat box, or just observe me teaching others. If you can’t attend, you can email me with any pronunciation queries you have.
Designed for You

Different people will have different problems when approaching English pronunciation. For example, a Mandarin speaker will have very different challenges compared to a Spanish speaker.
For this reason, the course is designed according to your native language. It prioritises the sounds that will make the biggest differences to your accent. Comparisons are made between the sounds in English and the sounds in your native language.
Designed for native speakers of the following languages:
Arabic
Bulgarian
Chinese (Mandarin, Cantonese)
Dutch
French
German
Greek
Hebrew
Hindi
Hungarian
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Persian
Polish
Portuguese (Brazilian/European)
Romanian
Russian
Spanish
Thai
Turkish
Ukrainian
Vietnamese
More languages will be added in the future
If you can’t see your native language, choose the my language isn’t listed option when signing up. You’ll get a course covering the major topics of English pronunciation that most English learners have problems with.
Arabic
Bulgarian
Chinese (Mandarin, Cantonese)
Dutch
French
German
Greek
Hebrew
Hindi
Hungarian
Italian
- Japanese
Korean
Persian
Polish
Portuguese (Brazilian/European)
Romanian
Russian
Spanish
Thai
Turkish
Ukrainian
Vietnamese
More languages will be added in the future
If you can’t see your native language, choose the my language isn’t listed option when signing up. You’ll get a course which covers the major topics of English pronunciation that most English learners have problems with.
Interactive learning
Learning pronunciation just became easier:
Interactive learning
Learning pronunciation just became easier with simple video lessons, clear audio and lots of practice materials.
(tap the pictures to find out more)
Video
Video lessons make it simple to see and copy new mouth positions, and understand new concepts.
Games
Games train your ears and help you understand how the English sound system works.
Audio
Listen-and-repeat audio recordings for every sound in English. Plus sound comparisons (e.g. beat vs bit).
Options to slow down and speed up audio.
Practice
Exercises for every sound in English and longer texts targeting specific sounds.
Community
Chat to and practise with other students using the Community platform.
How Does It Work?
Designed according to the Improve Your Accent Method, the course guides you through the following stages:












The course is online so you can learn wherever and whenever you want!
1. Understand how the mouth muscles work
First you explore how the mouth works. Remember that speech is physical activity. It’s important to understand how the mouth muscles work so that you are able to change the way you speak.
2. Train the muscles
The course provides different physical exercises to make the mouth muscles stronger and more flexible. This will give you the control to create new sounds more easily.
3. Learn some IPA (phonetic) symbols
English spelling is confusing. It’s not easy to guess the pronunciation of a word from the spelling (e.g. the “b” in “debt” is not pronounced!)
By learning the difference between letters and sounds – and by using symbols from the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) – the process of pronouncing words becomes much simpler.
Don’t worry if you want to avoid IPA symbols – they are not essential to improving your accent.
4. Focus on important topics
There are 20+ pronunciation topics that have been chosen and ordered according to your native language. Priority is given to sounds that will improve intelligibility (=people understanding you) and reduce the impression of a “foreign accent”.
Helpful comparisons are made between the sounds in English and the sounds in your native language.
5. Guidance on how to practise
The course gives clear instructions on how to practise and how to incorporate new sounds into your everyday speech.
6. Speak clearly & confidently!
After studying this course, you will have a deeper understanding of English pronunciation and you will be able to communicate more effectively in English.
Pricing
Choose between three subscription plans:
Monthly
Every 6 Months
- 1 month free compared to the monthly plan!
Annual
- 3 months free compared to the monthly plan!
The only difference is how often you make payment. The course content is the same.
How long do I need?
The amount of time you need for the course depends on a number of factors, such as your current level, how quickly you learn and how often you practise.
The course is organised according to what will make the biggest differences first, which means that you don’t have to complete the whole course to make improvements.
Some students just need a few months, whereas others have been on the course for multiple years because they continue to get value out of it (e.g. from the live online classroom sessions and the new material I publish).
If you’re unsure, you could subscribe for one month to begin with and then see how quickly you progress and how much time you might want to subscribe for.
You can see the number of lessons and the subject matter by signing up for the course (no credit card required) and then going to the homepage. The lessons are different depending on your native language.

You can also get an assessment so you know what topics to focus on in the course. More information about this can be found here.
If your employer is paying for the course and requires an invoice/alternative payment method, please read the information in the last question here.
British Council Award Finalist
This course was shortlisted for the British Council ELTons awards. The British Council judges described the course as an innovative and expertly-presented resource which demystifies pronunciation for learners. More info here.

What do other learners say?
Here are some reviews from other learners:
This is the best English pronunciation course you can find online by far. I have lived in London for 12 years now and always struggle with pronunciation. I have taken a few courses before but nothing really worked until I signed up for Luke’s course....
Magdalena, Poland
This is the best English pronunciation course you can find online by far. I have lived in London for 12 years now and always struggle with pronunciation. I have taken a few courses before but nothing really worked until I signed up for Luke’s course. It’s a game changer! I have been studying for 4 months now and it has made such a difference for me; improved my pronunciation, knowledge and confidence enormously. This course is fantastic, easy to follow, very well structured, user-friendly, great content, Luke explains everything perfectly in short videos, it also has games with different native speaker recordings. I love the slowing down audio button and the IPA transcription button to reveal text in IPA. I also found the comparisons to the Polish language very useful. I am more aware now when my Polish accent is taking over while speaking English and can quickly correct it. I highly recommend this course to anyone who is looking to learn or improve English pronunciation. Best money I ever spent. I only wish I found this course sooner. Thank you, Luke!
Magdalena, Poland
Luke’s course is by far the best and most affordable way to improve your English accent. The course presents concise and easy-to-follow exercises in a very well designed multimedia platform. The practical exercises work: with 30 min per day and within less than 2 weeks...
Rosa (Teacher), Spain
Luke’s course is by far the best and most affordable way to improve your English accent. The course presents concise and easy-to-follow exercises in a very well designed multimedia platform. The practical exercises work: with 30 min per day and within less than 2 weeks I could feel the English language flowing naturally from my mouth, and I could also see how both my colleagues and students took me more seriously. In the past, I have spent hundreds of pounds in private coaching and multiple books to improve my accent, and I have no hesitation in saying that Luke’s course has been the best investment I have made of both my time and money to achieve this goal.
Rosa (Teacher), Spain
I have had the chance to study with Luke a few years ago, and am now fortunate enough to go through the Improve Your Accent online course as a learner. This course is well crafted and perhaps one of the finest courses I have seen...
Hao, mainland China
I have had the chance to study with Luke a few years ago, and am now fortunate enough to go through the Improve Your Accent online course as a learner. This course is well crafted and perhaps one of the finest courses I have seen online. It follows a similar structure and scope as the one-on-one course whilst with only a fraction of the cost. It covers almost every key element of English speaking, including the foundation of all the vowel and consonant sounds, rhythm, mouth muscle workouts and many study tips tailored specifically for learners from different native language backgrounds. The multimedia format is easy to follow and convenient to use with enhanced interactivity. Importantly, it is divided into many sections which only last for a few minutes each; this allows flexible learning either with a chunk or fragment of time. The complementary live class is another significant benefit to provide more tailored feedback to learners. This course is an excellent tool to facilitate those who are willing to dedicate time and effort to more systematically and efficiently improve their English speaking skill. I recommend it unreservedly.
Hao, mainland China
For me, this course has been one of the best English classes I have attended in years. The online course is very well structured and organized, the explanations via video are easy to understand and easy to put into practice, the quizzes are entertaining and...
Rebecca, Germany
For me, this course has been one of the best English classes I have attended in years. The online course is very well structured and organized, the explanations via video are easy to understand and easy to put into practice, the quizzes are entertaining and fun and the course materials are very useful. It helped me to figure out the idiosyncratic trouble spots a German speaker faces and helped me to improve my English pronunciation and get more confident within weeks. I particularly enjoyed the fact that you can decide for yourself for how long you want to take the course. Apart from that, I also enjoyed attending the online classroom. During online sessions, Luke gives helpful individual feedback to speakers from different countries for their specific needs and it was worthwhile even as a silent visitor and watch how they go about it. I recommend this course to any English language learner who would like to sound more like a native speaker and find out more about the particularities of their native language and the English language.
Rebecca, Germany
I have been studying English for many years and I use it every single day for work; accent-wise, however, I always struggled to fill the gap between a good foreign speaker and a native. This course is simply amazing and it’s truly bringing my pronunciation...
Luca, Italy
I have been studying English for many years and I use it every single day for work; accent-wise, however, I always struggled to fill the gap between a good foreign speaker and a native. This course is simply amazing and it’s truly bringing my pronunciation to a level I had never been able to reach before: the materials are clear, well organised, brand new in their approach and ultimately very effective. Another point I like a lot is the price: coming as a monthly fee this means that the ultimate cost of the whole course will greatly depend on your commitment and regular training, which is really fair and boils down to an additional stimulus to go on. Definitely recommended!
Luca, Italy
This clearly-designed online course is an excellent resource for non-native learners who wish to improve their pronunciation. The well-paced videos are accompanied by helpful explanatory notes which make the course accessible to all. The user can freely navigate the many playful features – including mouth...
Sophie, France
This clearly-designed online course is an excellent resource for non-native learners who wish to improve their pronunciation. The well-paced videos are accompanied by helpful explanatory notes which make the course accessible to all. The user can freely navigate the many playful features – including mouth animations – and choose the IPA transcription system they prefer. I heartily recommend it!
Sophie, France
The course is well-organised, informative and interactive. According to your native language, you are provided with a structured path of mastering British English pronunciation. You are given exercises to practise not only the English sounds that do not exist in your mother tongue, but also...
Eric, Hong Kong
The course is well-organised, informative and interactive. According to your native language, you are provided with a structured path of mastering British English pronunciation. You are given exercises to practise not only the English sounds that do not exist in your mother tongue, but also English intonation and rhythm. Videos, animation and games are there to help you understand the materials more easily. I would highly recommend this course to you if you have been struggling to make yourself sound better and clearer whilst speaking English.
Eric, Hong Kong
Pronunciation is one of the areas that is quite difficult for self-learning: however hard I tried, I often wondered if I was on the right track. This course, however, offers a great combination of video/audio lessons and animated mouth diagrams, which makes it very easy...
Hiro, Japan
Pronunciation is one of the areas that is quite difficult for self-learning: however hard I tried, I often wondered if I was on the right track. This course, however, offers a great combination of video/audio lessons and animated mouth diagrams, which makes it very easy to compare my own pronunciation with Luke’s models. Evidence-based study tips are also provided during the course, so I’m sure you’ll keep motivated!
Hiro, Japan
I am very much enjoying your course. Your method is very interesting and helped me a lot in understanding English pronunciation. The mouth workouts really support me doing it properly. Your video explanations are very clear and motivating. It’s really motivating – I...
Maude, Brazil
I am very much enjoying your course. Your method is very interesting and helped me a lot in understanding English pronunciation. The mouth workouts really support me doing it properly. Your video explanations are very clear and motivating. It’s really motivating – I am having fun with it!
Maude, Brazil
Luke’s course is well-designed, well-structured, and comprehensive. The course offers interactive and high-quality teaching materials. It was nicely tailored to my native language, which helped me notice things I never thought were important – and this is something that I have been trying to find...
Mandana, Iran
Luke’s course is well-designed, well-structured, and comprehensive. The course offers interactive and high-quality teaching materials. It was nicely tailored to my native language, which helped me notice things I never thought were important – and this is something that I have been trying to find for many years. I would definitely recommend it.
Mandana, Iran
I was searching for a video course on British pronunciation as I work on my accent reduction (my mother tongue is Ukrainian) and eventually came across Improve Your Accent by Luke. First of all, the programme is well-structured and addresses all the important topics such...
Iryna, Ukraine
I was searching for a video course on British pronunciation as I work on my accent reduction (my mother tongue is Ukrainian) and eventually came across Improve Your Accent by Luke. First of all, the programme is well-structured and addresses all the important topics such as commonly confused sounds, rhythm, intonation, etc.. Secondly, it was very comfortable to do the tasks on the website as it’s extremely user-friendly and you do not have to be tech-savvy that much. Finally, it goes without saying that the course lived up to my expectations and I will definitely recommend it to others. Thank you for such a decent product!
Iryna, Ukraine
Inbal, Israel
Inbal, Israel
This course’s tailored approach makes it quite unique. It’s a real game-changer and a huge time-saver. It will quickly take your pronunciation to the next level if you put in the work. Covering all you need to know and tailored to your native language, it...
Laura, Italy
This course’s tailored approach makes it quite unique. It’s a real game-changer and a huge time-saver. It will quickly take your pronunciation to the next level if you put in the work. Covering all you need to know and tailored to your native language, it keeps things interesting and fun with interactive lessons, free coaching (in the online classroom) and all sorts of resources. There’s also plenty of useful hints & tips on how to stay motivated and tackle all those challenges that come with learning any foreign language. Love it!
Laura, Italy
I found the “Improve Your Accent” course material incredibly useful. Before starting the course I knew that I struggled in at least two areas: The different vowel/sounds and using them in the right place as well as consistency of accent (British, American, etc). In both...
Johannes, Germany
I found the “Improve Your Accent” course material incredibly useful. Before starting the course I knew that I struggled in at least two areas: The different vowel/sounds and using them in the right place as well as consistency of accent (British, American, etc). In both areas, Improve Your Accent helped tremendously, leaving next to no questions. The cherry on top is the assessment you can purchase as well as being a volunteer in the live lessons where Luke gives you very high-quality feedback on your accent with actionable suggestions on how to improve. 5 out of 5, much recommended!
Johannes, Germany
Comprehensive, well structured, and easy to follow. It helped me understand, exercise and improve lots of sounds I have studied before but did not get right. It has carefully structured and illustrated explanations and follow-up exercises. The illustrations helped me a lot, every other course...
Miruna, Romania
Comprehensive, well structured, and easy to follow. It helped me understand, exercise and improve lots of sounds I have studied before but did not get right. It has carefully structured and illustrated explanations and follow-up exercises. The illustrations helped me a lot, every other course on pronunciation I tried before did not have them. I also liked Luke’s open and encouraging attitude. I highly recommend it!
Miruna, Romania
Luke’s course is something that I’ve been trying to find for many, many years. Almost all the things in the course were never mentioned at my school. What I liked the most about the course is that I was taught how to pronounce a word...
Małgosia, Poland
Luke’s course is something that I’ve been trying to find for many, many years. Almost all the things in the course were never mentioned at my school. What I liked the most about the course is that I was taught how to pronounce a word of which I do not know the meaning. I didn’t have to learn by heart pronunciation patterns (IPA) for each word. Even though the course is in a self-paced mode I have never felt left alone. Luke was extremely supportive and explained in a simple and calm manner all the issues and problems I had or might have as a Polish speaker. I may honestly say that this course was a real adventure for me and a life changer. Thank you, Luke!
Małgosia, Poland
The course covers everything from muscle training to individual sounds and stress. As it’s tailored to my native language, everything I’m learning is relevant to me. This means I’m not wasting time with irrelevant material and so I’m progressing much more quickly. All the...
Lily, mainland China
The course covers everything from muscle training to individual sounds and stress. As it’s tailored to my native language, everything I’m learning is relevant to me. This means I’m not wasting time with irrelevant material and so I’m progressing much more quickly. All the lessons provide detailed information and clear steps. Plus I love the colourful and engaging interface! I’d highly recommend this course.
Lily, mainland China
Laura, France
I am an English teacher in Germany. I am able to speak English fluently but I just couldn’t get rid of my German accent. As I want to be an authentic role model for my students, I have decided to book this self-study online course....
Marina, Germany
I am an English teacher in Germany. I am able to speak English fluently but I just couldn’t get rid of my German accent. As I want to be an authentic role model for my students, I have decided to book this self-study online course. It is brilliant because it not only includes the background information on muscles that are used while speaking (which is also taught at university) but also comparisons between German and English speakers and how to avoid frequent mistakes in pronunciation. It was very helpful for me in order to understand WHY my English sounds so German and HOW to improve this condition.
Marina, Germany
Consuelo, Italy
Consuelo, Italy
The Improve Your Accent approach is unique and interactive. In the past, I used books, audiobooks, websites and mobile apps but none of them tackled it in such an effective way. If you don’t know your mistakes, then you will not be able to fix them....
Mohammed, United Arab Emirates
The Improve Your Accent approach is unique and interactive. In the past, I used books, audiobooks, websites and mobile apps but none of them tackled it in such an effective way. If you don’t know your mistakes, then you will not be able to fix them. With the online assessment, Luke listed all the mistakes I made and provided me with a road map to fix them. The course is worth the investment, every single penny of it. You will realise the return immediately.
Mohammed, United Arab Emirates
I absolutely recommend joining this course. In fact, in my opinion, this course should be a “must” for every student of English, due to the recognition of such different sounds from those in our native language. This course is thoroughly designed, easy to understand, has plenty of videos, exercises...
Lucía, Peru
I absolutely recommend joining this course. In fact, in my opinion, this course should be a “must” for every student of English, due to the recognition of such different sounds from those in our native language. This course is thoroughly designed, easy to understand, has plenty of videos, exercises and enough information to go deeper into learning. Luke is a 100% present teacher, I mean, despite the location and time difference, he is there to answer any question
Lucía, Peru
Gabe, Romania
Gabe, Romania
I very much enjoyed learning with Luke both via the online tool and during the live sessions. Luke is a great teacher, always with an answer and an example accompanying it to help memorise a rule. The online software Luke uses is best-in-class, very intuitive...
Zuza, Poland
I very much enjoyed learning with Luke both via the online tool and during the live sessions. Luke is a great teacher, always with an answer and an example accompanying it to help memorise a rule. The online software Luke uses is best-in-class, very intuitive and user-friendly. I’m highly recommending the course to anyone looking for a great learning experience.
Zuza, Poland
I spent a number of months taking this course. I can confidently say that it not only corrects my pronunciation, but it also helps me to grasp the rhythm of the English language. The course is interactive, which means that I no longer find accent...
Jia Sheng (Interpreter), mainland China
I spent a number of months taking this course. I can confidently say that it not only corrects my pronunciation, but it also helps me to grasp the rhythm of the English language. The course is interactive, which means that I no longer find accent reduction boring. I also find it helpful that every lesson is equipped with introductory videos, clear diagrams, written outlines, warm-up exercises, and mini-tests. Luke’s tutoring and his course have reduced my accent greatly. I cannot recommend him enough.
Jia Sheng (Interpreter), mainland China
Daniela, Brazil
I was lucky to study at University College London (UCL) where Luke taught us phonetics, and it was amazing. As for this course I should say that’s it is probably even better, because you can re-watch, re-listen and re-do all of the videos...
Ksenia, Russia
I was lucky to study at University College London (UCL) where Luke taught us phonetics, and it was amazing. As for this course I should say that’s it is probably even better, because you can re-watch, re-listen and re-do all of the videos and tasks. What especially impressed me is the adaptation of the course for different speakers: depending on your native language, you get tailored advice for your needs which definitely speeds up the process of the British pronunciation acquisition. Highly recommended!
Ksenia, Russia
I’ve always been interested in improving my English accent but never found a course that was tailored towards people that speak English fluently. For me, Luke’s ‘Improve Your Accent’ course is a missing piece in the world of accent coaching. It’s a fantastic & affordable...
Kathrin, Germany
I’ve always been interested in improving my English accent but never found a course that was tailored towards people that speak English fluently. For me, Luke’s ‘Improve Your Accent’ course is a missing piece in the world of accent coaching. It’s a fantastic & affordable way to learn at your own pace.
Kathrin, Germany
Luke’s online course is very well structured, interactive and easy to follow. It contains excellent video lessons and lots of practice material which I found particularly helpful. The weekly online classroom session is definitely a plus, and a great opportunity to get live...
Alessia, Italy
Luke’s online course is very well structured, interactive and easy to follow. It contains excellent video lessons and lots of practice material which I found particularly helpful. The weekly online classroom session is definitely a plus, and a great opportunity to get live and professional coaching/feedback on your accent. I can’t recommend this course highly enough!
Alessia, Italy
Malgorzata, Poland
Malgorzata, Poland
Improve Your Accent provides a comprehensive approach for learning the British accent. Each lesson is composed of a set of muscle training exercises, theoretical explanations and a lot of examples and practice with audio and video. I have never seen such a visually detailed and clear...
Sojiro, Japan
Improve Your Accent provides a comprehensive approach for learning the British accent. Each lesson is composed of a set of muscle training exercises, theoretical explanations and a lot of examples and practice with audio and video. I have never seen such a visually detailed and clear explanation of how each sound can be pronounced. Moreover, the course provides you with effective learning methods to further learn the British accent by yourself, using online tools beyond the course. One of the most important things that I learned from these lessons is how to check my own pronunciation and how to correct it. I am now very sure that I can improve my pronunciation by myself.
Sojiro, Japan
Having Spanish as my mother tongue and having learnt English from a grammar/translation perspective make the pronunciation of English vowels (20) very challenging, e.g. the vowels in FOOT and GOOSE were identified as U by me, which is doubly wrong because they are two different...
Álvaro, Spain
Having Spanish as my mother tongue and having learnt English from a grammar/translation perspective make the pronunciation of English vowels (20) very challenging, e.g. the vowels in FOOT and GOOSE were identified as U by me, which is doubly wrong because they are two different sounds and different to the Spanish U! To complete the picture, we have words like POOL that contain the Spanish U. This is just one example of the many you will learn from Luke in a practical way while he keeps your native language in mind. The course not only provides you with a theoretical framework but also with many resources (videos, games, exercises…) to put it into practice. You will learn to correct yourself and tell the difference between your original accent and a native accent. Once you understand the theoretical background you can practise on your own for as long as you want to refine your accent. It is a lifelong journey.
Álvaro, Spain
The course is extremely well designed. With each item that is advanced there is a reference to the previous items allowing the consolidation of knowledge. In addition, the videos presented by Luke Nicholson are very didactic and well done. One of the best pronunciation courses...
José, Brazil
The course is extremely well designed. With each item that is advanced there is a reference to the previous items allowing the consolidation of knowledge. In addition, the videos presented by Luke Nicholson are very didactic and well done. One of the best pronunciation courses I’ve seen on the internet.
José, Brazil
Luke’s online course, ‘Improve Your Accent’, is extremely well organised to cover all the aspects of accent problems. I studied the course materials intensively over the past few months and became more confident in my work (which requires lots of communication and presentations in English). The course not only covers pronunciation training of vowels...
Anonymous
Luke’s online course, ‘Improve Your Accent’, is extremely well organised to cover all the aspects of accent problems. I studied the course materials intensively over the past few months and became more confident in my work (which requires lots of communication and presentations in English). The course not only covers pronunciation training of vowels and consonants and improving intonation and rhythm, but also changing the settings of the mouth, a variety of unique mouth muscle exercises, and focusing on ‘the English side of the identity’. Both – but particularly the latter – worked very well for me. Online Classroom, a regular coaching session organised by Luke, was very useful. Luke is undoubtedly the best accent coach in the UK (or maybe in the world!).
Anonymous
In the Improve Your Accent Course, Luke Nicholson, an expert on English accents and pronunciation, shows you how to tap into your own resources so that you can communicate more clearly. I am a university professor who completed the course. However, I’ve extended my subscription...
Anonymous
In the Improve Your Accent Course, Luke Nicholson, an expert on English accents and pronunciation, shows you how to tap into your own resources so that you can communicate more clearly. I am a university professor who completed the course. However, I’ve extended my subscription for another year because the returns on my investment have been phenomenal. I highly recommend signing up for the course. You won’t regret it.
Anonymous
I wanted to thank you for the course and group classes. The course’s platform is very user-friendly and the content is perfectly structured. Luke’s teaching style is clear, kind and responsive to each speaker. I found it helpful not just to cover the physical aspect...
Anonymous
I wanted to thank you for the course and group classes. The course’s platform is very user-friendly and the content is perfectly structured. Luke’s teaching style is clear, kind and responsive to each speaker. I found it helpful not just to cover the physical aspect of learning an accent, but also the feelings that might come with it and how these can be normalised and clarified. I learnt a lot.
Anonymous
Can’t recommend the course enough, it was so detailed and easy to follow through! Luke’s coaching skills and information delivery is splendid!
Gabriella, Lithuania
What do the experts say?
All learners and teachers of English pronunciation will find this online course comprehensive, entertaining and easy to follow. With insightful video lessons, audio practice materials and animated diagrams, the course helps speakers of various languages conquer their weak points and improve their English pronunciation. I shall be recommending this course to all my students.
Professor Masaki Taniguchi
All learners and teachers of English pronunciation will find this online course comprehensive, entertaining and easy to follow. With insightful video lessons, audio practice materials and animated diagrams, the course helps speakers of various languages conquer their weak points and improve their English pronunciation. I shall be recommending this course to all my students.
Professor Masaki Taniguchi
This unique course is a game changer in the teaching of English pronunciation. The student will be happily clicking through the resources on the website, no doubt appreciative of the clean, elegant design but perhaps not fully conscious of the significant degree of passion and study that has gone into creating this resource. The site satisfies students by being carefully structured, interactive, and tailor made for speakers of different langua...
Dr Shanti Ulfsbjorninn
This unique course is a game changer in the teaching of English pronunciation. The student will be happily clicking through the resources on the website, no doubt appreciative of the clean, elegant design but perhaps not fully conscious of the significant degree of passion and study that has gone into creating this resource. The site satisfies students by being carefully structured, interactive, and tailor made for speakers of different languages. Its section on training the speech muscles include many amusing videos that might give students a sense of achievement and calm or delight through their silliness. But the real richness of the course is in the quality and abundance of mouth animations (beautifully stylised) and the pedagogically sound quizzes and games that are built into each part of the website. The videos are crystal clear and Luke’s bright, modern voice provides an excellent model of British English. The course is pedagogically excellent and available to students for a modest fee. Each component is replete with helpful sections that can be expanded with a click such as: ‘why am I learning this’ for the wayward, ‘I’m finding this hard’ for the bemused, and ‘reveal all the game answers’ for those who want to cheat. It is sure to be a valuable resource for a multitude of students.
Dr Shanti Ulfsbjorninn
This is simply the best online British English pronunciation course I’ve seen! And it contains many additional goodies that learners will find extremely useful. It is a must buy!
Alessandro Rotatori
Questions?
Of course!
Sign up (no credit card details required) and you’ll get access to the course introduction and first lesson for free.
You’ll also be able to see all the lessons that are included.
Unlike other courses or textbooks, my course is organised according to your native language. This means you will concentrate on the most important aspects for you first (and don’t have to learn the parts that you can do already).
Uniquely, my course includes:
- Speech muscle training
- Muscle settings (exploring the overall sound of your voice and how you hold your speech muscles)
- Modern English rhythm and intonation
- Ear training games
- Animations (to show you how sounds are made inside the mouth)
- Click-for-IPA (by clicking the IPA button, you’re instantly able to see phonetic transcriptions)
- Control audio speed (you can slow down audio to help you hear sounds more easily)
Additionally, my course explains how to make all the vowels and consonants in English. Advanced topics are also included, such as assimilation and elision. Further differences to other courses are that it:
- Uses a sense-based approach.
- For each new vowel or consonant, we explore how it feels in the mouth, what it looks like in the mirror, and how it sounds. This allows you to learn quickly and accurately.
- Teaches contemporary British English pronunciation.
- There’s no point sounding like the King (i.e. a very old-fashioned and posh form of English, which would sound humorous to a native speaker).
Your native language has a sound system that is different from the sound system of English. It is also different from the sound systems of other languages.
This means that a Mandarin speaker will have different challenges compared to a Portuguese speaker when learning English pronunciation.
Of course variation exists within each language: for example, there are many different varieties of Arabic. However, all speakers of a language will usually have similar challenges when approaching a language like English. Where necessary, reference is made to specific varieties (for example a sound that is more important for Brazilian Portuguese speakers to learn rather than European Portuguese speakers). In the course for Chinese learners, references are made to Mandarin and Cantonese.
When you log into the course, you will see a list of lessons. Your lessons have been designed and ordered to prioritise improving your intelligibility (i.e. people understanding you) and reducing the impression of a “foreign accent”. The lessons also include comparisons with words and sounds in your native language to help you understand why you pronounce English in a certain way.
If you grew up bilingual, you can change the native language in My Account at any time. Your lessons will automatically change.
If your language isn’t listed when signing up, choose the my language isn’t listed option and you’ll get a course which covers the major topics of English pronunciation that most English learners have problems with.
The online classroom is a group class for course subscribers only. You have the chance to ask questions, get 1-1 coaching/feedback from me, or watch other people being coached. The classes provide an opportunity to get live support.
Classes take place regularly (usually one hour per week on a weekday – but this depends on my schedule) and at different times (to suit different time zones). After subscribing to the course, you will be able to see the next dates and register by clicking Bookmarks -> Online Classroom in the sidebar.
The online classroom works on a first-come first-served basis. For coaching, each student will receive approximately 10 minutes. I can’t guarantee that I will have time to talk to everyone, but I will try to prioritise people who have not had a chance to speak to me before.
Technical Requirements
Access is through your internet browser so you don’t need to download any special software, but ensure your internet browser is updated.
If you’d like to chat via video you’ll need to use a computer or laptop (not a tablet or phone). Check your webcam/mic are working and that you have a good internet connection.
Privacy
The online classroom is open to all course subscribers. Your personal details (name, email, native language) will not be revealed to other attendees during the class. But if you post a question in the chat, your first name will be visible to other attendees.
Your webcam/microphone will be switched off by default when you enter. But if you choose to chat to me via video, then other attendees will be able to see/hear you and are likely to find out your first name and native language. Of course, you are free to watch other students being coached and learn from them.
The online classroom is not recorded or stored in the course in any way.
If you feel uncomfortable turning on your webcam, you can request to turn on your mic only.
The Community platform is an online space for course subscribers in which you can:
- Find a buddy to practise and study with.
- Get help and motivation from other students.
- Read about others’ experiences.
- Express your enthusiasm for English pronunciation, different accents, or phonetics/phonology.
- Share interesting links.
- Practise typing in IPA.
- Make friends!
The course is suitable for adult learners with an intermediate or advanced level of English.
This depends on a number of factors, such as your current level, how quickly you learn and how often you practise.
The course is organised according to what will make the biggest differences first, which means that you don’t have to complete the whole course to make improvements.
Some students just need a few months, whereas others have been on the course for multiple years because they continue to get value out of it (e.g. from the live online classroom sessions and the new material I publish).
If you’re unsure, you could subscribe for one month to begin with and then see how quickly you progress and how much time you might want to subscribe for.
You can see the number of lessons and what is covered by signing up for the course here (no credit card required) and then going to the homepage. The lessons are different depending on your native language.
Speaking is a physical process – we move muscles to create speech sounds. In order to speak in a different accent, you need to re-train those muscles. You have been speaking the way you do since childhood, so it will take some time to change your muscle habits.
The amount of time it takes to improve your accent depends on:
1. Your native language (and how close the sound system/rhythm is to English)
2. How long you have been speaking English
- Changing the way you speak involves breaking habits. If you have been speaking English with a strong foreign accent for a while, it may take longer to break those pronunciation habits.
3. Your current level of English pronunciation
4. How often you practise
5. How quickly your speech muscles adapt
6. Your identity and whether you like England!
- Everyone (consciously or unconsciously) adjusts their voice according to who they speak to. If you identify with the person you’re speaking to, you’re likely to make your speech sound more like them. If you already have a strong sense of identity which you don’t want to change – or if you dislike the other person – then you’re likely to make your speech sound different to them.
- This means that if you dislike English culture or can’t identify with English people, you’ll find it harder to change your accent.
- If you don’t like the sound of English, you’ll find it more challenging to create English sounds because you don’t really want to sound English!
7. Your personality. If you’re positive, confident, open and willing to take risks, you’ll improve more quickly. Why? Because:
- You’re more likely to socialise with native speakers and therefore practise new sounds.
- You’ll find enjoyment in creating new, unfamiliar English sounds.
- Your sense of identity is more fluid so you don’t mind sounding English.
Like all new skills, some people are naturally good at it, and others have to work harder. Most people will notice improvements after a few months.
To speed up the process, the course prioritises what will make the biggest and obvious improvements to your accent first.
Depending on the subscription plan you choose, you pay every month, every 6 months or every year. The course content is the same (you are just choosing how often to make payment).
It works out cheaper per month to take the 6-monthly/annual subscription rather than the monthly subscription. For example:
- If you subscribe to the monthly plan (£39.99) for 12 months it costs £479.
- But the annual plan costs £349. This is a saving of £130 compared to the monthly plan – essentially 3 months free (3 x £39.99 = £120).
You will only be able to register for the online classroom sessions and access the course materials while you have an active subscription.
If you want to switch from one subscription plan to another: (1) cancel your current subscription, (2) wait until it expires, (3) subscribe to a new plan.
You can pay using a credit/debit card or PayPal. If your employer is paying for the course and requires an invoice/alternative payment method, please see the final question on this page.
To cancel your subscription, click Account Settings -> My Subscription (in the course sidebar) and then click Cancel.
You must cancel at least 24 hours before the next billing date to avoid being charged again. If you cancel your subscription, you will still have access to the course until your subscription expires.
You can find out when your next billing date is in My Subscription.
You will be learning the Standard Southern British English Accent (SSBE), which is based on the accent in South-East England. You may have also heard of this accent as Non-Regional Pronunciation (NRP) or Modern RP.
It is perceived as a neutral*, intelligible, and contemporary English accent. As well as being associated with education, prestige and wealth, it is also widely understood across the world. For these reasons, it is the best accent to learn.
You may have also heard of the terms Received Pronunciation (RP), BBC English, or Oxford English. These names tend to refer to a more old-fashioned English accent, but some people might use them to refer to a contemporary accent.
(* No accent can really be neutral, but many native British English speakers would perceive this as neutral, standard or “not having an accent”)
My course uses a sense-based approach: for each new vowel or consonant, we explore how it feels in the mouth, what it looks like in the mirror, and how it sounds. This trains you to understand whether you are making a sound accurately or not.
At the beginning of the course, you record a text which contains all the sounds in English. This acts as a benchmark recording. You can re-record the text after spending some time in the course to measure your improvement.
Additionally, there are games to test your learning and to check whether you can hear the difference between sounds.
Plus you can join me in my online classroom and ask for feedback. Or purchase detailed feedback here.
You access the course through your internet browser.
This means you can use it on your computer, laptop, tablet and phone.
You can find out about this service here.
Alternatively, you can ask me for some free advice in the online classroom.
Payment
If your employer can pay using the company credit card, then you can simply use this at the checkout on the My Subscription page.
- Receipts will go to the email address that you registered with. If you need to change the email address, go to the My Profile page (note that this email address is also the one you use to log in).
- Please make your employer aware that they are paying for a recurring subscription (i.e. payments will be taken every month/every 6 months/every year). If your employer does not want to pay for a recurring subscription, then cancel the subscription after making payment (you will still have access for the time you paid for).
If your employer cannot pay with a card, then it is possible to do a bank transfer. In this case, I will need to send an invoice beforehand (see below). Once payment is received, I shall set up your subscription manually. Of course, this subscription will not auto-renew: you will have access for the time that has been paid for.
Invoice/Receipts
If your employer requires an invoice before payment, please contact me with which subscription plan you would like to purchase and the details you need on the invoice, e.g. your name, company name, address, etc.
If your employer requires a receipt after payment, please check whether the receipt you receive automatically to your email is sufficient (please note I do not charge VAT and so there is no VAT number). If it is not sufficient, then contact me with what extra information needs to be on the receipt.
Persuasion
If your HR department requires you to write why this course is worthwhile, here is a template you can use:
This British Council award-nominated English pronunciation course is designed for learners of English who have a [your native language] background. The course starts by explaining how speech can be analysed into sounds before moving on to over 20 topics that help [your native language] speakers improve their clarity in English. It also includes exercises to train the speech muscles and games to improve listening skills. Furthermore, the subscription gives the learner access to regular live classroom sessions with a teacher who can give support and feedback. By the end of the course, the learner will be able to speak more clearly and confidently in English.
Contact
You can email me Luke@ImproveYourAccent.co.uk or use the form on my website here.
For more information, go to the Frequently Asked Questions page