Learning outcome

Upon completion of the course the student should

• be familiar with the basic terminology of English phonetics and phonology, and be able to apply this terminology to actual linguistic examples
• recognize the individual sounds of English and their articulation, learn to use phonemic transcription, and account for the basic patterns of English stress and intonation
• identify the main differences between standard British and standard American pronunciation, as well as some other varieties of English around the world
• be able to utilize the comparisons between Norwegian and English so that the student’s own spoken English has less interference from Norwegian pronunciation and intonation

Course Description

The Sounds of English provides an introduction to the individual sounds (vowels and consonants) and sound patterns (in particular syllables, stress, rhythm, and intonation) in modern English.

Teaching and Learning Methods

The teaching is organized in lectures and seminars, with four hours of instruction per week. In the lectures, the individual themes will be clarified and examined. In the seminar lessons, the students will be given the opportunity to work with exercises on specific themes and take part in active discussions.

Assessment Methods

The final written examination will be assessed on a scale from A to F, where E is the lowest pass mark, and F is a fail. An attendance rate of at least 75% in the seminars is required to sit the final exam.

It is a prerequisite for the completion of the course that the students hand in two written papers. The papers are not graded, but must be approved by the course instructor.

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean