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Summer Course in English Phonetics

online VSCEP and live SCEP

SCEP 2024: online and in person!

ONLINE MODULE 12-16 AUGUST: NOW FULLY BOOKED

IN-PERSON MODULE 19-23 AUGUST: NOW FULLY BOOKED

This year the Summer Course is offered with two options. BOTH ARE NOW FULLY BOOKED.

Option1: 5-day Online Module 12-16 August (equivalent to the VSCEP we have offered in recent years)

Option 2: the 5-day Online Module 12-16 August PLUS an In-Person Module, live at UCL, 19-23 August, for those who wish to build on the first week and can come to London.

Online Module 12-16 August - NOW FULLY BOOKED

  • The Online Module is offered as a self-contained introductory course. No previous knowledge of English Phonetics is required, though more advanced applicants looking for a refresher course are welcome. This module can be taken from anywhere in the world, and runs each day between 11:15 BST (UTC+1) and 15:15 or 16:15 BST (see the provisional timetable for more details).

In-Person Module 19-23 August - NOW FULLY BOOKED

  • The In-Person Module is an optional second week for those who have taken the Online Module, and builds on the work in the Online Module. We strongly advise that applicants for this In-Person Module should either have taken the Online Module in the previous week, or have already taken SCEP or VSCEP in a previous year. It is not recommended to apply for the In-Person Module alone if you are new to SCEP. This module runs each day between 9:00 BST (UTC+1) to 13:00 BST (see the provisional timetable for more details).
  • Both Modules contain lectures, small-group practical classes and ear training sessions. The Online Module in week 1 is an introductory course to English Phonetics, with two lectures and one practical class per day. The In-Person Module in week 2 will build on this, with one lecture and two practical classes per day. So the second week will focus on developing your practical skills, with the opportunity to socialize and enjoy London.

Whether you're a teacher, a student or a fan of English, whatever your native language (including English), here is an opportunity to study English phonetics virtually and in-person at University College London!

You can brush up your knowledge of the theoretical side of phonetics and bring yourself up-to-date on new developments. You may want to do ear-training and listening practice. Or you may just want to improve your own English pronunciation. It's all available in UCL's famous Summer Course in English Phonetics, founded over a century ago by the great Daniel Jones.

Our course covers all the main aspects of English phonetics:

  • phonemic system (vowels and consonants)
  • segmental analysis (allophonic processes)
  • connected speech processes
  • sentence stress (tonicity, accentuation)
  • intonation (nuclear tones and prenuclear patterns)

These topics are investigated both in lectures and in practical classes. Practical groups are kept small and are organised according to your prior knowledge of English and your English proficiency. For example, we may have groups consisting of 

  • teachers of English as a foreign language
  • undergraduate students of English
  • university academics and postgraduates

The course covers with both speaking and listening skills. You get plenty of practice in pronunciation performance and in auditory discrimination in special ear-training sessions.

Here is the timetable for SCEP 2024 (subject to change).

  

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