Universitat Internacional de Catalunya

English Pronunciation: Practice and Teaching

English Pronunciation: Practice and Teaching
4
13764
1
First semester
OB
Main language of instruction: English

Other languages of instruction: Catalan, Spanish,

Teaching staff


Dr Angélica Carlet, acarlet@uic.es

Introduction

In the event that the health authorities announce a new period of confinement due to the evolution of the health crisis caused by COVID-19, the teaching staff will promptly communicate how this may effect the teaching methodologies and activities as well as the assessment.


This course aims to introduce the main concepts of the study of phonetics and English phonology. It will provide a description of the sounds of English and its suprasegmental features and give students the opportunity to practise hearing and producing the linguistically relevant differences between English and their mother tongue (L1). In addition, by taking a closer look at the English sounds most commonly mispronounced by non-native speakers, it will introduce and provide the opportunity to practise new techniques and ideas for making learning pronunciation more efficient and fun for students. Students will also be introduced to theories of foreign language learning and speech perception and production, as well as strategies for applying them in a clear manner.

Pre-course requirements

It is recommended that students have a B2 level of English under the Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFRL) before the start of the course.

Objectives

  • To become familiar with the basic concepts of the study of phonetics and phonology.
  • To recognise and produce English speech sounds.
  • To improve English pronunciation.
  • To identify differences between the sounds of English and those of the students’ habitual languages.
  • To identify and correctly use intonation patterns in English.
  • To start teaching English pronunciation to young learners. 
  • To apply the theoretical knowledge to the EFL classroom. 

Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme

Basic and general  

CB7 - To know how to apply the acquired knowledge and problem-solving abilities in new or little-known environments within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to one’s area of study.

CB8 - To be able to acquire knowledge and deal with the complexity of formulating judgments based on information that, although incomplete or limited, includes reflections on the social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of one’s knowledge and judgments.

CB9 - To know how to communicate one’s conclusions and the latest knowledge and the supporting arguments to specialist and non-specialist audiences in a clear and unambiguous way.

CB10 - To possess the learning skills that allow one to continue studying in a way that will be largely individual or autonomous.

CG1 - To search for, obtain, process, summarise and communicate information (oral, printed, audiovisual, digital or multimedia-based), transform it into knowledge and apply it to teaching English as a foreign language.

CG2 - To develop critical thinking, problem solving, decision-making or inquiry skills, and apply these to educational reality with the aim of promoting students’ autonomy, creativity, confidence and personal initiative.

CG3 - To manage work time based on learning priorities and objectives, promoting self-learning.

CG4 - To communicate decision-making in the field of teaching English as a foreign language based on solid arguments.

CG6 - To be able to effectively work as a part of a team in multilingual, multicultural and interdisciplinary professional and/or academic environments.

 

Transversal

 CT1 - To apply pedagogically innovative models and educational research on the acquisition, teaching and use of English as a foreign language to specific cases, to a specific school context and/or contexts related to education, so that the theoretical knowledge acquired is suitably connected to the educational practice.

CT2 - To critically analyse one’s own work and use appropriate resources and strategies to achieve professional improvement.

CT3 - To incorporate information and communication technology (ICTs) into teaching and learning activities, teaching management and professional development.

CT4 - To generate innovative and competitive proposals in professional or research activity.

CT5 - To express oneself in public and give presentations with digital support adapted to the different interest groups in the school environment (teachers, families, students, etc.)

 

Specific

CE1- To know and reflect on processes of the acquisition and learning of English as a foreign language and its literature and culture.

CE3 - To analyse the diversity of current and innovative methodological approaches and pedagogical practices applied to different educational stages in bilingual and multilingual contexts.

CE4 - To effectively apply digital resources for the teaching and learning of English and manage and promote computer-assisted language teaching programmes.

CE5 - To plan the process of teaching and learning English as a foreign language and its literature and culture at different educational stages, taking the students’ level and previous knowledge into account.

CE7 - To analyse and evaluate the development of students’ linguistic competence in English at different educational stages, based on the requirements of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

CE11 - To use academic skills in English, both orally and in writing inside and outside the classroom as well as all the communication techniques typical of teachers of this language.

CE12 - To recognise the phonetic and phonological aspects of English, apply them in the classroom and start to teach English as a foreign language pronunciation.

Learning outcomes of the subject

The learning outcomes that will be required of the students will be linked to the selected competences in each case. Among others, the following stand out:

 Students should be able to:

  • Apply basic knowledge of the phonetic and phonological aspects of English in the classroom and start teaching English as a foreign language pronunciation.
  • Analyse the diversity of current and innovative methodological approaches and pedagogical practices applied to the different educational stages in bilingual and multilingual contexts.
  • Plan the process of teaching and learning English as a foreign language and its literature and culture, while taking the level and previous knowledge of the students into account.
  • Effectively apply digital resources for English language teaching and learning and manage and promote computer-assisted English language teaching programmes.
  • Develop innovative projects aimed at the analysis and improvement of teaching practices using information and communication technology (ICTs).
  • Implement the different aspects of communicative competences as well as academic skills in English, both orally and in writing inside and outside the classroom, and use all the communication techniques typical of teachers of this language.
  •  Analyse and evaluate the development of the students’ linguistic competence in English at different educational stages, based on the requirements of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Syllabus

Unit 1 - Pronunciation teaching and learning   

-          Importance of teaching pronunciation.

-          Objective of pronunciation teaching.

-          Ultimate goal of the FL learner.

-          Choice of crucial features to be taught/learned based on L2 errors.

Unit 2 -  Foreign accent and intelligibility

-          Accentedness, intelligibility, comprehensibility, fluency and communication.

-          Factors affecting intelligibility.

Unit 3 -  Basic review of the English sound system

-          Segments: Consonants and vowels.

-          Suprasegmental features.

-          Pronunciation and spelling.

Unit 4 - Strategies and techniques in pronunciation teaching and learning

-          Overview of techniques.

-          Designing and implementing activities.

-          Relation between perception and production.

-          Computer technology in teaching pronunciation: Phonetic training research and its applicability.

Teaching and learning activities

Online



 

Online methodology

CT- Online Lectures

CP- Online Practical Sessions

RP- Problem solving tasks

EC- Case study

 

Teaching and learning activities

CML – Online Lectures

CPL – Online Practical Sessions

TI – Individual Autonomous Work

TG – Group work autonomous learning

TL – Online Tutorials

 

Evaluation systems and criteria

Online



 

15%

Virtual Multiple Choice Exam

35%

Online presentations or through videos

50%

Design of teaching materials and/or proposal of an educational intervention

 

Bibliography and resources

Celce-Murcia, M., D. Brinton and J. M. Goodwin (1996) Teaching Pronunciation: A Reference for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. New York: Cambridge University Press. -Chapter 1. The history and scope of pronunciation teaching.

Celce-Murcia, M., D. Brinton and J. M. Goodwin (1996) Teaching Pronunciation: A Reference for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. New York: Cambridge University Press. – Chapter 10. New directions in the teaching of pronunciation. 

Estebas Vilaplana, Eva (2009). Teach Yourself English Pronunciation: An Interactive Course for Spanish Speakers. A Coruña: Netbiblo. 

Kenworthy, J. (1987) Teaching English Pronunciation. London: Longman. – Chapter 1. Teaching and learning pronunciation

Kelly,G. (2000). How to teach pronunciation. Essex: Pearson education Limited. –Chapter 2. Teaching pronunciation. 

Levis, J.(2008). Computer technology in teaching and researching pronunciation. Annual Review of  Applied Linguistics, 27 : 184-202.