 Welcome! As you know, with more than 300 million native speakers and more than 1.5 billion official users, English constitutes the most widely used individual language of our time. This unit discusses its main regional varieties in a global context and lists their main phonological properties using numerous spoken examples. In the virtual session, we will look at the central inner circle varieties. The English is spoken in the United Kingdom and Ireland, those typical for North America, as well as those of Australia and New Zealand. We will define their main subtypes and will list their main phonological properties. If you don't know where to start, use the question sheet as a default guide through the unit. The mastery worksheet is a dynamic multiple choice task with several questions about English in a global context. You shouldn't encounter too many problems here. Well, and the practical wants you to describe the phonetic details of the varieties discussed in the virtual session. Not easy, but important for an overview. In summary, quite complex, but manageable.