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2020/2021

English Phonetics and Phonology I

Code: 100227 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2500245 English Studies OB 2 1
2501902 English and Catalan OB 2 1
2501907 English and Classics OB 2 1
2501910 English and Spanish OB 2 1
2501913 English and French OB 2 1
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:
Celia Gorba Masip
Email:
Celia.Gorba@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
Andrea Huerta Bon
Jessica Ann Mcdaid

Prerequisites

C1 level (advanced) del Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment. 


Students are discouraged from enrolling in this subject if they have not passed the first year Usos Bàsics course.

Objectives and Contextualisation

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SUBJECT

The main aim of this course is to provide an introduction to the principles of general phonetic description and taxonomy from an articulatory point of view. A description of the sounds of English will be provided and students will practice hearing and producing the linguistically relevant differences in English. Students will acquire working knowledge of phonological and phonetic transcription. The principles of phonological analysis will be presented. Students are introduced to the principles of articulatory description by means of class presentations by the teacher, together with the comments in class of readings done by the students at home. All this is complemented by extensive exercising throughout the semester. Students will practice transcription and reading during the whole course, both in class, in tutorials and at home.

 

Specific objectives.

Students will be able

1) to describe and to explain the production of speech sounds;

2) to classify and describe English sounds articulatorily;

3) to do phonological and phonetic transcription, and read words and phrases in transcription;

4) to carry out contrastive analysis and phonological analysis, and 

5) to detect and assess areas of English pronunciation that of particular difficulty for native speakers of Catalan and Spanish, and to attempt to perceive and produce English sounds accurately.

 

Competences

    English Studies
  • Describe synchronously the main grammar units, constructions and phenomena of the English language.
  • Develop critical thinking and reasoning and knowing how to communicate effectively both in your mother tongue and in other languages.
  • 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.
  • Develop critical thinking and reasoning and knowing how to communicate effectively both in your mother tongue and in other languages.
  • 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.
  • Develop critical thinking and reasoning and knowing how to communicate effectively both in your mother tongue and in other languages.
  • 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.
  • Develop critical thinking and reasoning and knowing how to communicate effectively both in your mother tongue and in other languages.
  • 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.
  • Develop critical thinking and reasoning and knowing how to communicate effectively both in your mother tongue and in other languages.
  • 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. Comprehending academic or professional texts in their own language or the another acquired in the degree.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Effectively communicating and applying the argumentative and textual processes to formal and scientific texts.
  7. Identifying the main difficulty areas in English pronunciation according to the mother tongue of the student, and work on the most problematic aspects.
  8. Issue appropriate critical assessments based on the comprehension of relevant information about social, scientific or ethical issues related to linguistics.
  9. Perceiving and producing the vocalic and consonant contrasts of English, as well as the accent, rhythmic, and intonation patterns.
  10. Students must be capable of comprehending advanced academic or professional texts in their own language or the another acquired in the degree.
  11. Students must be capable of precisely arguing ideas and opinions in their own language or another acquired in the degree.

Content

SYLLABUS

 

UNIT 1. Introduction to phonetics, phonology, transcription and the main standard varieties of English.

UNIT 2. Production of speech sounds, articulatory description and classification.

UNIT 3. The English consonant system: phonemes and main allophonic realizations. Contrastive analysis of English and Spanish/Catalan consonants.

UNIT 4. The English vowel system: phonemes and main allophonic realizations. Contrastive analysis of English and Spanish/Catalan vowels. 

UNIT 5. Modification processes and connected speech

UNIT 6.Contrastive analysis of phonological systems of different languages or different varieties of one language.

 

Methodology

Directed activities

  • Lectures

General phonetics

Description of the articulation of English consonants and vowels and their classification

  • Practical exercises

Classroom correction of homework. Pronunciation practice

Improvement of production and perception of English sounds           

 

Supervised

Individual assignments, preparation of assignmetns and pronunciation practice 

Dealing with theroetical contents 

Identification of difficult aspects of English pronunciation

Phonetic transcription

 

Autonomous    

  • Personal study

Mastering the main notions of phonetics and phonology and apply them to the English language. 

Describing the consonantal and vocalic phonemes of English and their realisations

  • Practical exercises and pronunciation practice

Autonomous practice (including self-correction) 

Identifying and working the difficult aspects of English pronunciation

 

Assessment      

  • Exercises and assignments

Classroom correction of exercises 

  • Exams

Understanding and explaining the basic theoretical notions of phonetics and phonology and their application to English phonetics and phonology, as well as a contrastive analysis between English and Spanish and Catalan.

Practice of phonological and phonetic transcription. 

Acurate production of English sounds  

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Lectures and practical classes 50 2 1, 11, 4, 5, 2, 7, 9
Type: Supervised      
Assignments 20 0.8 1, 7
Type: Autonomous      
Study, test preparation and homework 55 2.2 1, 10, 5, 7

Assessment

ASSESSMENT

  • The 90% of the final mark will correspond to two written exams carried out towards the middle and the end of the semester (30% each) and one oral exam at the end of the semester (30%). The minimum mark to pass 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% = pass = 5 out of 10 in the calculation of the final mark)
  • The remaining 10% of the final mark corresponds to an assignment that students will carry out individually (5%) and to homework and practical exercises and participation in the correction of exercises and pronunciation and transcription exercises done in class (5%)

 Note:

1) The assignments and the tests are COMPULSORY.

2) A final mark of “No avaluable” can only be obtained if the student has completed a maximum of 35% of the course.

3) 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, this will need to have a minimum mark of 4.

4) The level of English will be taken into account when correcting exams and in the assessment of the final grade.

5) VERY IMPORTANT: Partial or total plagiarism will immediately result in a FAIL (0) for the plagiarised 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 is part 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. Plagiarising 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.

6) In the case of a justifiable absence on the day of an exam, assignment or any other important task (for example, because of illness), the student must present the pertinent documentation in order to justify the absence. In that case, an alternative evaluation date may be offered, or a possible redistribution of the marks may be considered, if approved by the course coordinator.

7) 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.

8) 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.

 Reassessment

  • Re-assessment for this subject will be undertaken on an item-by-item basis, for which the following conditions are applicable:

             - All the assessment items should have been carried out.

             - The minimum overall course mark should be 3.5/10.

             - The maximum mark that can be obtained at reassessment is 5 (pass).

  • The re-assessment dates are assigned by the university and will not be changed to suit individual students' needs.
  • 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: the assignment and the 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.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
2 written exams 60% 3 0.12 1, 11, 3, 10, 4, 5, 8, 6, 2, 7
An Assignment 5% 5.5 0.22 1, 5, 8, 6, 2, 7, 9
Homework, class exercices and participation 5% 16 0.64 1, 11, 3, 10, 4, 5, 2, 7, 9
Oral exam 30% 0.5 0.02 1, 5, 2, 7, 9

Bibliography