Admission requirements
None.
Description
Pronunciation (tutorial). The course aims to help you improve your English pronunciation. Not only will you be analysing and practicing individual sounds; intonation, stress and rhythm are also part of the programme, especially in the second part of the course.
Varieties of English (lecture). Although the language labs focus on either British or American English, these are not the only important varieties of English in the world. For that reason, you will also be learning to recognise and describe the most dominant varieties of English in the world and the connotations of the various accents. This lecture does not only discuss pronunciation features but also pays much attention to the cultural background of the countries in which the various accents are spoken.
Course objectives
Pronounce British or American English naturally and intelligibly, approaching near-native level as much as possible.
Identify and describe other students’ pronunciation issues.
Identify the pronunciation characteristics of international varieties of English.
Understand the cultural context of the accents discussed.
Timetable
The timetable will be available by June 1st on the website
Mode of instruction
One 45-minute lecture and one 45-minute tutorial per week.
Course Load
The course load of this course is 140 hours.
Study weekly reading material: 70 hours
2×12 classes: 18 hours
Exams: 3 hours
Exam preparation: 49 hours
Assessment method
Multiple-choice Exam: 50%
Oral Exam: 50%
The grade for the Oral Exam needs to be at least a 6.0.
If the final grade is 5 or less students may only resit the insufficient course component(s).
Attendance is compulsory. Unauthorized absence will mean that you cannot take part in the relevant exam(s).
Blackboard
Blackboard will be used to provide students with an overview of current affairs, as well as specific information about (components of) the course.
Reading list
For the British lab: Smakman, D. (2014). Accent Building. A British English Pronunciation Course for Speakers of Dutch. Leiden: Leiden University Press.
For the American lab, a reader will be made available through Blackboard.
Registration
Students cannot register through uSis, but must see the coordinator of studies and register with her. If you have any questions, please contact the departmental office, tel. 071 5272144 or mail: english@hum.leidenuniv.nl.
Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs
Registration Studeren à la carte
Registration Contractonderwijs
Contact details
English Language and Culture student administration, P.N. van Eyckhof 4, room 102C. Tel. 071 5272144; english@hum.leidenuniv.nl.
Coordinator of studies: Ms T.D. Obbens, MA, P.N. van Eyckhof 4, room 103C.