Proceedings of The 7th World Conference on Teaching and Education
Year: 2024
DOI:
[PDF]
The English Accent Network: Unite in Accents, Empower in English!
Alexey Shakhin
ABSTRACT:
In today’s globalized world, English is the primary language for international communication. It is crucial for ESL students to be exposed to a variety of English accents. Unlike traditional resources that allow users to select and listen to specific accents, our innovative platform facilitates live interactions with both native and non-native speakers. This is achieved through participation in each other’s online lessons, creating an immersive learning experience. Our network operates in a simple and straightforward manner. Teachers join our free Facebook group and provide a brief introduction, preferably in video format, so everyone can see them and hear their accents. When a teacher wants to expose their students to that accent, they contact the corresponding group member and invite them to join an online class. In exchange, they offer a similar collaboration opportunity. With 30+ years of experience in the linguistics industry, having reached fluency in four languages, I see huge potential of our network for both teachers and learners.
Benefits for students:
- Enhanced communication abilities;
- Practical application in real life, such as working with international businesses or traveling;
- Improved listening and comprehension skills;
- Increased cultural appreciation and understanding of diversity and more.
Advantages for teachers:
- Distinguish yourself as an ambitious and innovative educator;
- Effortlessly increase your professional value and earning potential;
- Prepare students for exams by exposing them to a variety of accents
(e.g., IELTS Listening uses 10 specific accents);
- Provide practical tests for students to hone their listening and speaking skills;
- Offer a unique experience that the majority of students have never encountered;
- Reward diligent students with exclusive learning opportunities;
- Improve student retention by offering unparalleled resources;
- Expand your global network, creating personal and professional connections worldwide.
Our workshop will answer a lot of questions teachers ask themselves before joining, including:
– Which accents should I expose my students to and why?
– What is the optimal session duration?
– What are the best topics to discuss?
– Am I supposed to evaluate the English level of my collocutor?
– Can I lose a student by participating in this kind of collaboration?
– Can non-native teachers join the English Accent Network?
– Do I need to have a degree to join?
– How is this network better than language exchange platforms?
– Why is such a valuable tool being offered at no cost?
keywords: Cross-cultural exchange; Immersive learning; Innovative teaching methods; Linguistic diversity; Teacher collaboration