Ateneo - UPO

ENGLISH LANGUAGE 1st YEAR: 1) + 2)
1) BASIC ENGLISH LINGUISTICS-MORPHOLOGY, PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY

Main topics:
Short introduction to the English Language; Contemporary English Morphology (morphemes, word classes, word formation, inflections); Contemporary English phonetics and phonology; vowels (monophthongs, diphthongs, triphthongs), consonants, phonetic transcription (IPA).
Segmental Phonology; the distribution of vowels and consonants; syllable structure; stressed/unstressed syllables.

2) ENGLISH LANGUAGE PRACTICAL CLASSES 1st YEAR:

Please, read below ‘Programma esteso’.

1) BASIC ENGLISH LINGUISTICS-MORPHOLOGY, PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY

Compulsory texts (all the students)

- BALLARD, Kim, 2013 (3rd.), The Frameworks of English, Palsgrave-MacMillan (chapters 1, 2, 3, 4; 9,10,11).

- COLLINS, Beverley, Inger M. Mees, and Paul Carley. Practical English phonetics and phonology: A resource book for students. Routledge, 2019.

Compulsory reading and text analysis:

- Crystal, David, 2019 [2018], Sounds Appealing. The Passionate Story of English Pronunciation, Profile Books.

2) ENGLISH LANGUAGE PRACTICAL CLASSES 1st YEAR

Compulsory texts (all the students):

- English File Digital B2 4th Edition, Upper-intermediate Students's Book and Workbook. Oxford University Press. ISBN: 978-0-19-450122-4.

- Michael Vince, Language Practice New Edition B2 Student's Book Pack with Macmillan Practice Online and Answer Key. Macmillan. ISBN: 9780230463752.

NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS (the same texts listed above for ‘all the students’).

1) BASIC ENGLISH LINGUISTICS-MORPHOLOGY,PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY:

The first year Basic English Linguistics aims at introducing the main morphological, phonetic-phonological principles and practices of Contemporary English, and of its complex Sound System, with a view on the Spelling System as well.
The final aim is the acquisition of 'linguistic awareness' to support linguistic competence (encoding and decoding): that is, the understanding of language as a complex and dynamic system which provides many possibilities of use, in relation to different needs and contexts.

The approach is metalinguistic.

The course general contents and specific topics, language skills and activities, the end-of-course examination, as well as the assessment criteria applied, refer to B1/B2 level of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference).

2) ENGLISH LANGUAGE PRACTICAL CLASSES 1st YEAR:

English Language Practical Classes 1 aim to develop lexical, grammatical, morpho-syntactic, and discursive skills (both encoding and decoding) of contemporary English, in relation to everyday topics and events.

The complexity and the specificity of certain topics, activities, and skills imply the use of English at an (upper-) intermediate level, B1/B2 of CEFR.

Students must have at least an English A2 CEFR level.

1) BASIC ENGLISH LINGUISTICS-MORPHOLOGY,PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY:

Lectures

2) ENGLISH LANGUAGE PRACTICAL CLASSES 1st YEAR:

Practical activities for decoding (reading comprehension), encoding (paragraph writing), grammatical skills (exercises), oral interaction focussed on general and/or specific topics of everyday communication (ex. current events).
Self-study and activities previously introduced during practical classes.

1) BASIC ENGLISH LINGUISTICS-MORPHOLOGY, PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY:

The use of handbooks for the theoretical approach will be supported by authentic materials for the analysis. Authentic materials will be drawn from magazines, newspapers, websites, etc.

ORAL EXAM (15 minuti):
To sit the Basic English Linguistics-Morphology; Phonetics and Phonology oral exam, students have to pass the practical classes written test.
READ BELOW

2) ENGLISH LANGUAGE PRACTICAL CLASSES 1:

ALL THE STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE A COPY OF THE COMPULSORY TEXTS (see above).

WRITTEN TEST (1 h 45’ minutes, some days before the oral interaction)

Your practical classes mark is the average of all your grades: the different sections of the written test.

To sit the Basic English Linguistics-Morphology, Phonetics and Phonology oral exam, 1st-year students have to pass the written test: reading comprehension, lexis and grammar (exercises), and paragraph writing (min. 18/30 for all of them).

Students are due to sit both their practical classes written test and their Basic English Linguistics-Morphology, Phonetics and Phonology oral exam in the same exam session (appello).

Oral interaction skills, language competence, and fluency (discourse structure, pronunciation, lexis, morphosyntax, and linguistic appropriateness) will be assessed on the occasion of the Basic English Linguistics-Morphology, Phonetics and Phonology oral exam by professor Laura Tommaso.

THE FINAL MARK OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE 1st YEAR EXAM is based on the average of all your grades: practical classes written test and Basic English Linguistics-Morphology,
Phonetics and Phonology oral exam.

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:
C1 level (CEFR) International Certificates can replace English Language Practical Classes 1 (esercitazioni) for non-specialist students of Filologia (MA) and Filosofia (MA) ONLY: their certificate final score will be converted into a 30-based grading system.

BASIC ENGLISH LINGUISTICS (morphology, phonetics and phonology) included in the syllabus is COMPULSORY FOR ALL THE STUDENTS, non-specialist included, independent of their Certificate (read previous and following sections).
The final mark is based on the average between the Certificate and the Basic English Linguistics grades.

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/servicesstudents-physical-or-learning-disabilities
Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

1) BASIC ENGLISH LINGUISTICS-MORPHOLOGY,PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY:

ASSIGNMENT: writing on the reading (D. Crystal, Sounds Appealing. The Passionate Story of English Pronunciation).

The assignment will be in English, about 350 words, and will highlight (explaining and exemplifying) the main concepts discussed in the book.
Concepts and notions treated in the book will be the starting point for further in-depth discussion at the oral exam: these concepts/notions have to be related to the course contents/topics (handbook resources, lectures).

The writing must be sent/handed to your teacher, professor Laura Tommaso, for preliminary assessment no later than one week before the selected date to sit the oral exam (data dell’appello).
ORAL EXAM: discussion on the course contents, concepts, notions, texts, starting from the individual written task previously sent to professor Laura Tommaso.

2) ENGLISH LANGUAGE PRACTICAL CLASSES 1:

WRITTEN TEST:
1. Reading Comprehension (reading and understanding texts taken from posters, brochures, newspapers, magazines, no literary texts; understanding and using lexis and grammar of contemporary English): 500-word text, followed by lexical/word meaning exercises, and grammar exercises (multiple choice, etc.); 45’ minutes.
2. Paragraph writing from an outline: students are required to write a 150-word paragraph on well-known topics, already discussed during the year: 45’ minutes.

ORAL INTERACTION
Oral interaction skills, language competence, and fluency (discourse structure, pronunciation, lexis, morphosyntax, and linguistic appropriateness) will be assessed on the occasion of the Basic English Linguistics-Phonetics and Phonology oral exam by professor Laura Tommaso.

The final grade is the result of a comprehensive assessment that assigns 40% of the weight to the written examination and 60% to the oral examination. To pass the exam, students must achieve a minimum score of 18/30 in each component (written and oral).

ENGLISH LANGUAGE 1 includes

1) BASIC ENGLISH LINGUISTICS-MORPHOLOGY;PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY:

Please, read ‘Contents’.

2) ENGLISH LANGUAGE PRACTICAL CLASSES 1:

English Language Practical Classes 1 are based on the textbooks listed above, and on further materials analysed during the year (see DIR)

1) BASIC ENGLISH LINGUISTICS-MORPHOLOGY,PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY:

The study of Contemporary English morphological, and phonetic-phonological systems is extremely relevant in the reception and production processes, and will foster linguistic awareness for the speaker/writer.

Basic English Linguistics will provide students with appropriate metalinguistic notions and tools to understand how words are formed and sounds are produced and received, their combination, and their occurrence in more complex clusters. Students will be able to recognise and discuss the main features of the English Morphological and Sound System, with a view on the English Spelling System.

2) ENGLISH LANGUAGE PRACTICAL CLASSES 1:

Students will be able to read and understand texts of medium complexity in contemporary English, of general contents and/or on current issues.
They will also write short paragraphs with the most appropriate lexis and morpho-syntactic structures of contemporary English, and have a conversation on general/current issues.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE 1 end-of-course skills may refer to a B2 level (CEFR).