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2020/2021

English Phonetics and Phonology II

Code: 100226 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2500245 English Studies OB 2 2
2501902 English and Catalan OT 3 0
2501902 English and Catalan OT 4 0
2501907 English and Classics OT 3 0
2501907 English and Classics OT 4 0
2501910 English and Spanish OT 3 0
2501910 English and Spanish OT 4 0
2501913 English and French OT 3 0
2501913 English and French OT 4 0
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
María José Solé Sabater
Email:
MariaJosep.Sole@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
english (eng)
Some groups entirely in English:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
No
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Teachers

Juli Cebrián Puyuelo

Prerequisites

  • Students should have taken English Phonetics and Phonology I before enrolling in this course. The specific requisites regarding its contents are knowledge of phonetic transcription and basic descriptive terms from the English Phonetics and Phonology I course.
  • Students should have a minimum level of C1 (advanced) or C2 (Proficiency) from the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: learning, Teaching, Assessment. With a C1 level, the student can understand a wide range of complex and long texts, and recognise implicit meaning; can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions; can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes; can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices. With a C2 level, the student can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read; can summarise information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation; can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.

Objectives and Contextualisation

This is a second year course which should be taken after English Phonetics and Phonology I. It deals with the differences between the phonological Systems of English and Catalan/Spanish, focusing on suprasegmental aspects, whereas English Phonetics and Phonology I focuses on segmental aspects.

By the end of the course, the students will be able to stress English words and sentences, to use English intonation and rhythm. They will be able to do and read phonological transcription of short texts and dialogues, and to pronounce correctly English words both in spelling and in transcription. 

After finishing the course, the student will be able to:

  • Use phonetic transcription
  • Identify the form and function of stress, rhythm and intonation patterns in English.
  • Perceive and produce relevant contrasts in English
  • Compare the phonological system of English and Catalan/Spanish and identify problematic areas.
  • Improve their English pronunciation.

Competences

    English Studies
  • Describe synchronously the main grammar units, constructions and phenomena of the English language.
  • Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
    English and Catalan
  • Describe synchronously the main grammar units, constructions and phenomena of the English language.
  • Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
    English and Classics
  • Describe synchronously the main grammar units, constructions and phenomena of the English language.
  • Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
    English and Spanish
  • Describe synchronously the main grammar units, constructions and phenomena of the English language.
  • Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
    English and French
  • Describe synchronously the main grammar units, constructions and phenomena of the English language.
  • Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Applying the theoretical and practical aspects of the articulatory phonetics and processes involved in the production of speech.
  2. Communicating in the studied language in oral and written form, properly using vocabulary and grammar.
  3. Define in detail the inventory of consonantal and vocalic phonemes in English and its most common allophonic realisations, as well as the principles of the organisation and combination of sounds in possible sequences.
  4. Defining in detail the inventory of consonantal and vocalic phonemes in English and its most common allophonic realisations, as well as the principles of the organisation and combination of sounds in possible sequences.
  5. Effectively communicating and applying the argumentative and textual processes to formal and scientific texts.
  6. Identifying the main difficulty areas in English pronunciation according to the mother tongue of the student, and work on the most problematic aspects.
  7. Issue appropriate critical assessments based on the comprehension of relevant information about social, scientific or ethical issues related to linguistics.
  8. Perceiving and producing the vocalic and consonant contrasts of English, as well as the accent, rhythmic, and intonation patterns.

Content

 

UNIT 1. English phonotactics and syllable structure

UNIT 2. English word stress and levels of prominence

UNIT 3. Stress in derived words: suffixation and compound nouns.

UNIT 4, English sentence stress and rhythm.

UNIT 5. English intonation.

UNIT 6. Phonetic transcription of short texts and dialogues and practice reading transcribed texts 

Methodology

Autonomous activities: Exercises, assignments, readings, individual study and participation.

Directed activities: Lectures and practical seminars.

Supervised activities: Tutoring sessions.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Lectures and practical seminars 45 1.8 4, 2, 6, 8
Type: Supervised      
Tutoring sessions 22.5 0.9 2
Type: Autonomous      
Exercises, assignments, readings, individual study and participation. 57.5 2.3 4, 2, 8

Assessment

Assessment

Besides the usual participatory responsibilities (class participation, assigned readings) there will be regular homework and assignments, a written midterm exam, as well as a final written and oral exam. The written exams will include the assigned readings. Students will be evaluated as follows:

  • 90% of the final mark will correspond to two written exams (30% each) and an oral exam (30%). The pass mark for the written exams is 5/10. In order to pass the oral exam, students must obtain a score of at least 60% of the total score (60% = aprovat = 5 over 10). 
  • 5% of the final mark corresponds to an assignment that students will carry out individually.
  • The remaining 5% will correspond to homework and practical exercises, and participation in the correction of exercises and pronunciation and transcription exercises done in class.

Note:

  • All the assignments and tests are COMPULSORY.
  • To pass the course, the following conditions need to be fulfilled:
    • The final oral exam needs to be passed.
    • The combination of the marks of the two written exams needs to average out to a 5 or higher. If one of the two written exams is failed, it will need to have a minimum mark of 4.
  • A final mark of “No avaluable” can only be obtained if the student has completed a maximum of one exam and the assignment. Therefore, the completion of two exams excludes the possibility of obtaining the “No avaluable”.
  • The students’ command of English will be taken into account when marking all exercises and for the final mark.

Reassessment conditions

  • Reassessment of the course material will be item-by-item when the following conditions are met: 
    • The student has completed all the evaluation items.
    • The student has a minimum course mark of 3.5/10.
    • A maximum of a written exam and/or an oral exam can be reassessed.
  • The maximum mark that can be obtained at reassessment is a PASS (unless reassessment is the result of a missed test due to a justified and documented absence).
  • The reassessment dates are assigned by the university and will not be changed to suit individual students' needs. 
  • Missed tests can only be retaken if the student provides documented justification of their absence.
  • Lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the date and place of the reassessment exams.
  • Evaluation activities excluded from reassessment. The following activities are not eligible for reassessment: Assignment 1, Assignment 2 and assigned exercises.

Procedure for Reviewing Grades Awarded. On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.

In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.

IMPORTANT: Partial or total plagiarizing will immediately result in a FAIL (0) for the plagiarized exercise. Repeated instances of plagiarism will result in a FAIL (0) of the whole subject. PLAGIARISING consists of copying text from unacknowledged sources –whether this ispart of a sentence or a whole text– with the intention of passing it off as the student’s own production. It includes cutting and pasting from internet sources, presented unmodified in the student’s own text. Plagiarizing is a SERIOUS OFFENCE. Students must respect authors’ intellectual property, always identifying the sources they may use; they must also be responsible for the originality and authenticity of their own texts.

In the event that tests or exams cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc. Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.

 

 

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Assignment 5% 5.5 0.22 1, 2, 6, 8
Homework and participation 5% 16 0.64 1, 4, 2, 6, 8
Midterm 1 30% 1.5 0.06 1, 3, 7, 5, 2, 8
Midterm 2 30% 1.5 0.06 1, 3, 4, 2, 6, 8
Oral exam 30% 0.5 0.02 1, 6, 8

Bibliography

Textbooks

Cruttenden, Alan. 2001. Gimson's pronunciation of English [6th edition]. London: Edward Arnold.

Finch, Diana. F. and Ortiz Lira, Hector. 1982. A course in English Phonetics for Spanish Speakers. London: Heinemann.

Gómez González, María de los Angeles. & Sánchez Roura, Teresa. 2016. English Pronunciation for Speakers of Spanish. From Theory to Practice. Mouton de Gruyter.

Kreidler, Charles.W. 1997. Describing Spoken English. An Introduction. London: Routledge. Ch. 7

Ladefoged, Peter. 1982 (1993, 2005). A Course in Phonetics. New York: Harcourt, Brace & Jovanovich/Thomson Wadsworth.

Mott, Brian. 2000. English Phonetics and Phonology for Spanish Speakers. Barcelona: Edicions Universitat de Barcelona.

Roach, Peter. 1983. English Phonetics and Phonology. Cambridge: CUP.

Rogers, Henry. 2000. The Sounds of Language. An Introduction to Phonetics. London: Pearson Education Ltd.

Wells, John.C. 2006. English Intonation: An Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

 

Recommended books for further practice

Baker, Ann. 2006. Ship or Sheep? An intermediate pronunciation course. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Estebas, Eva. 2009. Teach yourself English pronunciation: An interactive course for Spanish speakers.  Netbiblos/UNED.

García-Lecumberri, María Luisa & John A. Maidment. 2000. English Transcription course. London: Arnold.

Hancock, Mark. 2003. English Pronunciation in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Hewings, Martin. 2007. English Pronunciation in Use. Advanced. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

 

Phonetic transcription

http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/johnm/flash/flashin.htm

http://davidbrett.uniss.it/phonology/page%20with%20frames2.htm

 

General phonetics and English phonetics

http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/resource/index.html

http://www.phonetics.ucla.edu/course/contents.html

http://hctv.humnet.ucla.edu/departments/linguistics/VowelsandConsonants/

https://corpus.linguistics.berkeley.edu/acip/

 

Pronunciation practice and ear training

http://www.shiporsheep.com/

http://www.cambridge.org/elt/shiporsheep/

http://www.btinternet.com/~eptotd/vm/vowelmachine/vowelmachine.htm

http://www.englishaccentcoach.com/