n. English Accents

TOEIC is  American rather than British, so accents, expressions and contexts tend to be the former rather than the latter (though not exclusively so).  The listening you will do in class will expose you to a number of accents and expressions:

1. Me.  British English.  A fairly neutral accent as I was born in the North but grew up in the South of England.
2. Grand Designs.  The videos I will show you and you can review for yourself on YouTube expose you to different British national accents: Scottish, Irish, Welsh, English and also to regional accents: London, Manchester, Liverpool etc.  You can also find Grand Designs on YouTube
3. Megastructures.  these projects are global / international so you will hear for example:
   • An English presenter speaking to an Australian architectural design team and to natives of the Middle East speaking a slightly accented international English: 'The Burj al Arab 7 star hotel project.
   • An English presenter speaking to French, German and English architects, designers and engineers: The Millau Viaduct
   • The Boston Big Dig. All-American interviewees.
4. News agencies:
   • The BBC. A relatively 'standard' English, but increasingly with regional accents and those of persons from immigrant backgrounds from the former colonies (mainly India and the Caribbean).
     • BBC News website
     • BBC Radio 4 news and the Today Programme with John Humphreys (Welsh origin, but not too accented and spectacularly clear voice)
   • CNN.   CNN homepage.  Clips in American English
   • ABC Australia.  Clips in Australian English
5. The English Club at FLSH.  1130 -1400 every day on the FLSH mezzanine: come and meet up with students studying English…. some indeed ARE English / bi-lingual and some have spent a considerable time (a placement year in England)
6. Friday Noon. Usually in FLSH Room 001 @ 1200 on Fridays there is a film or an event organised by the English Club which is held in English with all students of English invited – bring your lunch and participate.
7. NovaTris;  If you sign up (see the UHA website…. the team is based at ENSISA!) you could do some buddy-buddying: you use your native French to help someone else and they usue their native English to help you.