Assoc. Prof. Dr Snezhina Dimitrova
Lectures: 15
Seminars: 15
ECTS credits: 3
The main aims of the course are (i) to introduce the core concepts of the science of speech, and thus enable students to discuss and describe in sufficient detail the sounds of English; (ii) to help students improve their own pronunciation, focusing on the main problems of foreign learners of English. The course introduces vowel and consonant sounds and their transcription, looks at changes in the pronunciation of individual words in connected speech, and discusses the most common stress, rhythm and intonation patterns in English. Class activities include pronunciation drills, transcription exercises and discussion of reading assignments. Students discuss in class papers on a variety of phonetic and phonological topics, work autonomously with paper, on-line and multi-media resources, and conduct a small-scale investigation as part of their final portfolio. The final mark is based on continuous assessment, a final test and a course portfolio. No prior knowledge of English phonology is expected from students who enroll for this course. The language of instruction is English.