Phonological aspects of the Longman communication 3000

Abstract The paper examines the implications of the Longman Communication 3000 word list for the teaching of English pronunciation at university level. In particular, I examine to what extent selected university curricula in France teach the pronunciation of this minimum of words and what modifications might be suggested to better serve the needs of students in equipping them with the pronunciation of contemporary, current vocabulary. It will be shown that this word list offers a wide range of useful examples to illustrate phonological phenomena, but teachers of English pronunciation/phonology might need to consider, for expository purposes, examples other than those found in standard handbooks of English phonology. I will show that using Longman Communication 3000 does not compromise the teaching of English phonology in any way, nor does it restrict the vocabulary to be taught. Quite the contrary, I am simply suggesting a conscious approximation of what is phonologically interesting/important to what is to be taught first.