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Enrolment:

Timetables for each Term:

Click the links below for the latest timetables.

Other:

Pronunciation

Days and Times for Term 1 and Term 2: 8 weeks of 2 hours per week

Term 1: Monday 17:00-19:00 OR Wednesday 15:00-17:00

Week commencing 15 October 2012 – week ending 7 December 2012

Term 2: Monday 17:00-19:00 OR Wednesday 17:00-19:00

Week commencing 21 January 2013 – week ending 15 March 2013

Cost for Term 1 or Term 2: UCL: £250

Other: £300

Day and Time for Term 3: 6 weeks of 2 hours per week

Term 3: Wednesday 13:00-15:00

Week commencing 6 May 2013 – week ending 14 June 2013

Cost for Term 3: UCL: £220

Other: £270

Participants

Course for all non-native speakers of English who wish to improve their pronunciation. There is a maximum of 10 participants per class.

Course Aims

  • to increase effectiveness in communication in an academic or professional environment through better pronunciation
  • to raise awareness of the most important features of English pronunciation
  • to give additional support with individual learner’s pronunciation needs through a tutorial
  • to provide guidance on a self-study programme in the relevant aspects of pronunciation

Please note: this course does not aim to ‘get rid of your accent’ or enable you to speak like a native speaker.

Taught Content

Each group is taught for 2 hours per week for eight weeks (6 weeks in Term 3). In addition each participant will receive one individual 30-minute tutorial during the course, to be arranged at a mutually convenient time. Regular general feedback on pronunciation and extended speaking is provided in the class. There is no final examination or assessment. Please note that the course will continue during UCL Reading Week.

Course Outline

This will depend to some extent on the members of the group and their interests, but the following topics are likely to be included:

  • The sounds of English: review and practice of English phonemes
  • Giving and receiving opinions in a discussion

  • Sounds and spelling
  • Consonant clusters
  • Word stress
  • Giving definitions and explanations – in one’s own subject area

  • Stress within a phrase, weak forms and contractions
  • Taking turns and communication strategies in a discussion

  • Features of connected speech: linking, assimilation etc.
  • Strategies for making oneself clear
  • Sentence stress and intonation
  • Sounding friendly and positive, showing interest
  • Putting it all together; pausing and chunking;
  • Reading aloud
  • Review and final guidance

Tutorial

At the beginning of the course, tutors will arrange mutually convenient times with participants for their individual 30-minute tutorial. The purpose of the tutorial is to establish the student’s main pronunciation priorities and to suggest remedial and self-study exercises. Once a tutorial time has been arranged (and a room booked), participants should make every effort to attend as agreed. If you are unable to attend, you should inform your tutor (or the Course Co-ordinator) as soon as possible. Any tutorial cancelled less than 24 hours in advance will not be rescheduled.

Homework

The tutor may set short homework exercises to enable participants to practise items covered in the class, or to prepare for the next class.

Books and Resources (in the Self-Access Centre)

General self study

• Vaughan-Rees, M (2002) Test Your Pronunciation. Harlow: Pearson Education

Help with learning the phonemic alphabet

• Bowler, B & S Cunningham (1991) Headway Upper Intermediate Pronunciation. Oxford: Oxford University Press [Introduction]

• Hancock, M (2003) English Pronunciation in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press [Unit 1 and Section D]

• Vaughan-Rees, M (2002) Test Your Pronunciation. Harlow: Pearson Education [Units 1–8]

Websites

For the phonemic alphabet:

http://www.cambridgeenglishonline.com/Phonetics_Focus/

For various features of pronunciation:

http://www.elssa.uts.edu.au/resources/pronunciation/index.html

To practise different sounds

• Baker, A (2005) Ship or Sheep? Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

• Bowler, B & S Cunningham (1991) Headway Upper Intermediate Pronunciation. Oxford: Oxford University Press

• Hancock, M (2003) English Pronunciation in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press [Sections A and D]

• O’Connor, P & C Fletcher, (1989) Sounds English, Harlow: Longman

• Rogerson, P & J B Gilbert, (1990) Speaking Clearly. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press [Units 18–24]

• Soars, J & L Soars (1990) Headway Intermediate Pronunciation. Oxford: Oxford University Press

To help with word stress

• Bowler, B & S Cunningham (1991) Headway Upper Intermediate Pronunciation. Oxford: Oxford University Press

• Hancock, M (2003) English Pronunciation in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press [Section B]

• Rogerson, P & J B Gilbert, (1990) Speaking Clearly. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press [Units 2–4]

• Soars, J & L Soars (1990) Headway Intermediate Pronunciation. Oxford: Oxford University Press

To help with connected speech (sentence stress, weak forms, clusters, linking)

• Bowler, B & S Cunningham (1991) Headway Upper Intermediate Pronunciation. Oxford: Oxford University Press

• Hancock, M (2003) English Pronunciation in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press [Section B]

• Mortimer, C (1985) Elements of Pronunciation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

• Rogerson, P & J B Gilbert (1990) Speaking Clearly. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press [Units 5–12]

• Soars, J & L Soars (1990) Headway Intermediate Pronunciation. Oxford: Oxford University Press

To help with intonation

• Bowler, B & S Cunningham (1991) Headway Upper Intermediate Pronunciation. Oxford: Oxford University Press

• Bradford, B (1998) Intonation in Context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

• Brazil, D (1994) Pronunciation for Advanced Learners of English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

• Hancock, M (2003) English Pronunciation in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

• Rogerson, P & J B Gilbert (1990) Speaking Clearly. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press [Units 15–17]

• Vaughan-Rees, M (2002) Test Your Pronunciation. Harlow: Pearson Education

Attendance

In order to benefit fully from the course, we strongly recommend 100% attendance. If you have to miss a class, please inform the tutor beforehand. This can be done either by email or by leaving a message at the Language Centre Reception.

Course Feedback / Staff-Student Consultative Exercise

All students on part-time English classes have the opportunity to give general feedback on their course to the Language Centre.

Academic support

If you have any questions about your course, please feel free to ask your tutor. Alternatively, you may like to contact the Course Co-ordinator, Mr James Sinclair-Knopp, in Room 115 at the Language Centre. Email: j.knopp@ucl.ac.uk

Administrative support

For any administrative enquiries, please contact the EAP Office, Room 121 at the Language Centre. Email: pteap@ucl.ac.uk

Page last modified on 16 apr 13 15:22 by James W Knopp