Pronunciation Models and False Choices

(This article first appeared on the Cambridge ELT Blog)

Which English do you want – American or British? This is a question which students (or their parents and other stakeholders) typically face at the beginning of a language course. As regards pronunciation, this usually means a choice between the two ‘standard’ accents General American (GA) or Received Pronunciation (RP). It’s as if these accents are products on a supermarket shelf and it’s simply a matter of choosing. But I think presenting a choice in this way is misleading, and here’s why.