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English Phonetics and Phonology I

Code: 106291 ECTS Credits: 6
2024/2025
Degree Type Year
2504212 English Studies OB 2
2504380 English and Catalan Studies OB 3
2504386 English and Spanish Studies OB 3
2504393 English and French Studies OB 3
2504394 English and Classics Studies OB 3

Contact

Name:
Maria Jose Sole Sabater
Email:
mariajosep.sole@uab.cat

Teachers

Maria Jose Sole Sabater

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

C2 level (proficiency) 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 SLAP I 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
  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values. 
  • Demonstrate skills to work autonomously and in teams to fulfil the planned objectives.
  • Describe and analyse—synchronically and comparatively—the main phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic, semantic and pragmatic properties of English and its historical development.
  • Distinguish and contrast the distinct paradigms and methodologies applied to the study of English.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Understand and produce written and spoken academic texts in English at advanced higher-proficient-user level (C2).
  • Use written and spoken English for academic and professional purposes, related to the study of linguistics, the philosophy of language, history, English culture and literature.
    English and Catalan Studies
  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Analyse the main phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic, lexical and semantic properties of the Catalan and English languages, their evolution throughout history and their current structures.
  • Critically evaluate the literary and cultural production in the Catalan and English languages and their historical and social context.
  • Demonstrate the ability to work autonomously and in teams with the aim of attaining the planned objectives in multicultural and interdisciplinary contexts.
  • Make correct use of written and spoken English for academic or professional purposes, related to the study of language, history, culture and literature.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Understand and produce oral and written academic texts with appropriateness and fluency in distinct communicative contexts.
    English and Spanish Studies
  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Analyse the main phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic, lexical and semantic properties of the English and Spanish languages, their evolution throughout history and their current structure.
  • Apply teaching and acquisition strategies in the development of communicative competence (both linguistic and extra-linguistic) in a global and multilingual society.
  • Correctly use written and oral English and Spanish for academic and professional purposes, related to the study of linguistics, history, culture and literature.
  • Demonstrate the ability to work autonomously and in teams in order to achieve the planned objectives in multicultural and interdisciplinary contexts.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Understand and produce oral and written academic texts with appropriateness and fluency in distinct communicative contexts.
    English and French Studies
  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Analyse the main phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic, lexical, semantic and pragmatic properties of the English and French languages, their evolution throughout history and their current structures.
  • Carry out linguistic analyses of the English and French languages using specific competences methodologies and terminology.
  • Demonstrate the ability to work autonomously and in teams with the aim of attaining the planned objectives in multicultural and interdisciplinary contexts.
  • 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.
  • Understand and produce oral and written academic texts with appropriateness and fluency in distinct communicative contexts.
  • Use spoken English and French correctly for academic and professional purposes related to the study of linguistics, history, culture and literature.
    English and Classics Studies
  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values. 
  • Apply the concepts, resources and methods acquired to the study of the English language in order to understand its diachronic change, as well as its current geographic and social diversity, and to study its acquisition and learning in a global and multilingual society.
  • Demonstrate the ability to work autonomously and in teams in order to achieve the planned objectives in multicultural and interdisciplinary contexts.
  • Describe and analyse synchronically and comparatively the main phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic, semantic and pragmatic properties of English, Greek and Latin, as well as their historical evolution.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Understand and produce oral and written academic texts with appropriateness and fluency in distinct communicative contexts.
  • Use written and spoken English correctly for academic and professional purposes related to the study of English linguistics, history, culture, and literature.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Describe and analyse (synchronically and diachronically) the main phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic and semantic properties of English.
  2. Express oneself in English in writing and orally in an effective and correct manner, in an academic register and using appropriate terminology in relation to the study of phonetics and phonology, syntax, semantics and the history of the English language.
  3. Gather and interpret relevant data to make critical judgements on aspects of English linguistics and its practical applications.
  4. Identify and understand different models for the linguistic analysis of English at phonetic-phonological, syntactic, semantic and historical levels.
  5. Make use of the knowledge acquired while respecting diversity of opinion and varieties of a language.
  6. Plan work effectively, individually or in groups, in order to fulfil the planned objectives.
  7. Produce written and oral academic texts at higher-proficient-user level (C2) on the concepts and skills relevant to the study of English linguistics.
  8. Understand specialised academic texts on research in English linguistics at C2 level.
  9. Understand specialised academic texts on research in English linguistics at Mastery level (C2).
  10. Understand specialised academic texts on research in English linguistics at advanced higher-proficient-user level (C2).
  11. Understand specialised academic texts on research in English linguistics at higher-proficient-user level C2.

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.


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Lectures and practical classes 50 2 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Type: Supervised      
Assignment preparation 25 1 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Type: Autonomous      
Study, test preparation and homework 50 2 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

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  

Note: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and theircourses or modules through questionnaires.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
"Assignments" 15 5.5 0.22 2, 5, 6, 7
Final exam 30 1.5 0.06 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Homework, class exercises and participation 10% 10 16 0.64 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Midterm exam 20 1.5 0.06 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Oral exam 25 0.5 0.02 2, 7

The teaching methodology and the evaluation proposed in the guide may undergo some modification subject to the onsite teaching restrictions imposed by health authorities.

Assessment

  • 75% of the final mark will correspond to two written exams and an oral exam. The written exams consist of a midterm test towards the middle of the term (20%) and a final exam at the end of the semester (30%). The oral exam will take place at the end of the semester (25%). The minimum mark to pass the exams is 5/10.
  • 15% of the final mark corresponds to assignments that students will carry out individually. In principle, these will consist in a "mock oral exam" and another assignment to be determined-
  • The remaining 10% corresponds to homework exercises, class attendance and participation. 

Exact dates for all evaluation activities will be confirmed at the start of the course through a course calendar published on the class Moodle.

This subject does not incorporate the single-assessment option.

 Note:

1) The assignments and the oral and written tests are compulsory.

2) To pass the course, the following conditions need to be fulfilled:

- The final oral exam and the final written exam need to be passed.

- The course average needs to be a pass (at least 5 out of 10).

3) Students will obtain a “Not assessed/Not submitted” course grade unless they have submitted more than one third of the assessment items.

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- withthe intention of passingitoff 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 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.

Irregularities refer, for instance, to copying in an exam, copying from sources without indiacting authorship, or a misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) such as presenting work as original that has been generated by an AI tool or programme. These evaluation activities will not be re-assessed.

7) 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.

 

Exam review

After each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedure and of the time and place for the exam/grade review.

 

Reassessment

At reassessment, only the oral exam and the final written exam can be retaken. In order to qualify for reassessment, the following conditions must apply:

- All the obligatory assessment items must have been carried out (see point 1 above). This means that if a student does not reach a pass average because some obligatory item or items have not been completed, the student will not have a chance to go to reassessment (for example, with a 5 in the written and the oral exams, and a 0 in the assignments that have not been completed, the average course mark would be a fail and there would be no opportunity of reassessment). 

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

- The only written exam that can be retaken is the final exam. If a student fails the course because of a low mark in the midterm, the only way to reassess the exam is by retaking the final written exam.

- Students must submit at least 50% of the homework exercises for the ongoing assessment mark to be considered, otherwise the mark for this component (10%) will be 0.

- 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 midterm written exam, the assignments and homework exercises. The midterm exam can only be reassessed by retaking the final exam (see Reassessment section).


Bibliography

Main readings:

  • Abercrombie, David 1965. Studies in Phonetics and Linguistics. Oxford: OUP.  Ch. 2
  • Ashby, Patricia 1995. Speech Sounds. London: Routledge. (Chapter on Airstream mechanisms).
  • Carr, Philip. 1999. English Phonetics and Phonology: An Introduction.Oxford: Blackwell. Ch. 5
  • Denes, Peter B. & Pinson, Elliot N. 1963. The Speech Chain. New York: Freeman. Ch. 1
  • Finch, Diana F. & Ortiz Lira, Hector. 1982. A course in English phonetics for Spanish speakers. Heinemann Educational Books (currently out of print). Ch. 1-7 + Exercises
  • Kreidler, Charles W. 1997. Describing Spoken English. An Introduction. London: Routledge. Ch. 7
  • O’Connor, J.D. 1973. Phonetics. Harmondsworth: Penguin. (Vowels)
  • O’Connor, Joseph D. 1980. Better English Pronunciation. Cambridge: CUP. 
  • Roach, Peter 1983. English Phonetics and Phonology. Cambridge: CUP.

Recommended bibliography

  • Baker, Ann. 2006 (2nd edition). Tree of Three? An Elementary Pronunciation Course. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Baker, Ann. 2006 (3rd edition). Ship or Sheep? An Intermediate Pronunciation Course. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Carley, Paul; Mees, Inger M.; Collins, Beverly. 2018. English Phonetics and Pronunciation Practice. Routledge.
  • Estebas, Eva. 2009/2014. Teach yourself English pronunciation. A Coruña: Netbiblo/Madrid: UNED.
  • Gilbert, Judy. 2012.(4th edition). Clear Speech. Cambrigde University Press.
  • Gómez González, María de los Ángeles & Sánchez Roura, Teresa. 2016. English Pronunciation for Speakers of Spanish. From Theory to Practice. Mouton de Gruyter.
  • Hancock,Mark. 2003. English pronunciation in use. Cambridge: Cambridge Univeristy Press.
  • Ladefoged, Peter. 1982 (1993, 2005 with CD-Rom). A Course in Phonetics. New York: Harcourt, Brace & Jovanovich/Thomson Wadsworth. (Ladefoged, Peter & Johnson, Keith. (2015) A Course in Phonetics. Cengage Learning.)
  • Mott, Brian. 2000. English Phonetics and Phonology for Spanish Speakers. Barcelona: Edicions Universitat de Barcelona.
  • Rafael Monroy-Casas, Inmaculada Arboleda-Guirao (eds.) 2014. Readings in English phonetics and phonology. Valencia: Universitat de Valencia.
  • Rogers, Henry. 2000. The Sounds of Language. An Introduction to Phonetics. London: Pearson Education Ltd.

Online resources on English phonetics and transcription

Online resources on English pronunciation

 


Software

Software used in class demonstrations (optional for students): Praat (www.praat.org), https://www.fon.hum.uva.nl/praat/

See also the website English Phonetics and Pronunciation in Barcelona for an extensive and up-to-date list of online resources on general phonetics, English phonetics and pronunciation practice.


Language list

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 English first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 2 English first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 3 English first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 4 English first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 5 English first semester morning-mixed