spring 2020
ENG-2020 English Phonology - 10 ECTS

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Application deadline

Applicants from Nordic countries: 1 June for the autumn semester and 1 December for the spring semester.

Exchange students and Fulbright students: 15 April for the autumn semester and 1 October for the spring semester.

Type of course

This course may be taken as a single course. A good command of oral and written English is recommended.

Recommended prerequisites: HIF-1000 Innføring i fonetikk og språkvitenskap/Alt du trenger for å studere språk and/or ENG-1016 Introduction to English Sound Patterns.

Admission requirements

Higher Education Entrance Qualification (generell studiekompetanse) or prior learning and work experience (realkompetanse).

A good command of oral and written English is recommended.

Application code: 9199 - Enkeltemner (ikke realfag), lavere grad (Nordic applicants)

Course content

Phonological theory wouldn't be as rich and insightful as it is today without the peculiarities and weirdnesses of English phonology. We will learn about the development of phonological theory, focusing on English as the subject of study, discussing which contributions data from English have made to phonological theorizing and which insights phonological theories provide into the workings of the English language and its many varieties. Examples may also be drawn from other languages. We will learn about rule-based phonology from Chomsky & Halle's "Sound Patterns of English" to Lexical Phonology and alternatives, such as Government Phonology and Optimality Theory. We will discuss various analyses of segmental processes and representations as well as prosodic phonology and morphology.

Objectives of the course

Knowledge:
After successful completion of the course, the student
- has broad knowledge of phonological patterns and processes in the English language,
- is familiar with phonological variation across varieties of English,
- has knowledge of analytical issues pertaining to English phonological phenomena,
- has knowledge of a range of phonological theories  

Skills:
After sucessful completion of the course, the student will be able to
- analyse phonological data,
- evaluate technical analyses and theoretical proposals,
- read and understand up-to-date theoretical literature,
- present scientific arguments and findings in oral and written form

Language of instruction and examination

Language of instruction and examination: English.

Teaching methods

Lectures, exercises, seminars. A total of 26 hours of teaching.

Assessment

Coursework requirements:
One oral presentation on a specific topic or of a journal article, book chapter etc. (5 -15 minutes) to be determined by the lecturer; one short essay (500-1500 words) summarizing literature central to a topic selected by the student. The coursework requirements must be approved before the student can submit the term paper.  

Assessment method:
One course paper, approximately 4000 words.

Performance in the course will be assessed with the grades A-F. Grades are A-E for passed and F for failed. A re-sit examination is offered in the event of an F grade. The deadline to register for a re-sit examination is 15th January for the autumn semester and 15th August for the spring semester.

  • About the course
  • Campus: Tromsø |
  • ECTS: 10
  • Course code: ENG-2020
  • Earlier years and semesters for this topic