Institutt for kultur- og språkvitenskap
Universitetet i Stavanger
Description:
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The course provides the student with a broad introduction to English phonetics and phonology, and to the study of English accents. It focusses on the sound systems of two model accents of English (Received Pronunciation and General American), including intonation patterns as well as consonants and vowels. In addition, it introduces the topics of accent variation, sound change and international variants of English. The course gives an overview of basic concepts and terminology within phonetics and phonology, combined with practical exercises.
Contents:
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The course focuses on several broad topics within the field of English phonetics and phonology. The central course components include consonant and vowel production in RP and GA, suprasegmental features, such as stress, connected speech and intonation, as well as international variants of English (World Englishes). In addition, a significant aspect of the course is work on phonemic transcription. Due to the relevance of the concepts introduced during the course for students' overall communicative competence, a lot of attention will be given to their ability to recognize and interpret various phenomena of connected speech, speech sound distinctions and different intonation patterns in native and non-native English speakers' speech, as well as to their ability to produce them in their own speech.
Exam:
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Midterm exam (4 hours); weight: 1/3.
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Oral exam (30 minutes); weight: 2/3.
Requirements:
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Submission of three short home assignments.
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Attendance at a minimum of five group seminars.
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Regular attendance is strongly recommended, as the course contains a large element of hands-on practice.
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In order to take the final oral exam, students must have passed the three assignments and the midterm exam. In addition, they must have attended at least five group seminars.
Textbook:
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Nilsen, Thor Sigurd. 2010. English Pronunciation and Intonation: British, American and World Englishes. 3rd ed. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget AS.
Additional Resource:
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Wells, J. C. 2008. Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. 3rd ed. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.
Links:
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