Spoken English
- Arts
- 100 level
- 3 credit units
- 172 pages
- 15 units
This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts and techniques of spoken English. It aims to equip students with the ability to speak English effectively in various social and academic contexts. The course emphasizes the recognition and articulation of English sounds, articulatory skills, and information extraction from listening texts. Students will develop discussion skills and take responsibility for their own learning through independent work and practical guidance, focusing on mastering the sound system of English and correcting pronunciation problems.
About this course
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Study hours
- 45 hours
- Maths
- None
- Content
- Theoretical, practical
- Practical work
- Yes
- Assignments
- Tutor marked assignments
- Final examination
What you'll read
The real module and unit structure of ENG141, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.
One paragraph, so you can see how it reads
ENG141 · MODULE 1: FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS
Indeed, speech and writing are two separate systems and an individual’s linguistic competence depends on the ability to make a clear distinction between the two.
What you should be able to do
- Articulate English sounds and pronounce words correctly.
- Describe major features of English pronunciation.
- Identify and correct pronunciation errors.
- Develop articulatory skills for effective communication.
- Recognize and use stress and intonation correctly.
What it prepares you for
- Broadcaster
- Teacher
- Public Speaker
- Communication Specialist
- Voice Actor
- Education
- Media
- Public Relations
- Customer Service
- Entertainment
Where it gets hard
The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.
- Module 2: The English Consonants
Unit 2: Detailed Description of English Consonants
Requires understanding of subtle differences in tongue placement and airflow, which can be challenging for non-native speakers.
- Module 3: Detailed Description of the English Vowels
Unit 2: Detailed Description of the Vowels
The subtle differences in tongue position and lip rounding for each vowel require careful listening and imitation.
- Module 4: The Syllable and Stress in Spoken English
Unit 4: Problems in Phonemic Analysis
Requires understanding of complex rules and exceptions for stress placement in multi-syllabic words.
A suggested way through it
13 weeks, about 28 hours in total. Yours will differ.
- Week 1Module 1: Fundamental Concepts and Definitions
Unit 1: Speech in Human Communication · 2 hours
Define speech and its role in human communication.. Identify factors affecting speech quality.. Distinguish between speech and writing.. Explore advantages of spoken language..
- Week 2Module 1: Fundamental Concepts and Definitions
Unit 2: The English Sound System · 2 hours
Define pronunciation and its importance.. Distinguish English sounds from alphabet letters.. Explore the English phonetic system.. Understand Received Pronunciation (RP)..
- Week 3Module 1: Fundamental Concepts and Definitions
Unit 3: Introduction to Phonetic Transcription · 2 hours
Learn the basics of phonetic transcription.. Understand the techniques of transcribing spoken English.. Practice transcribing simple words and phrases.. Use phonetic symbols to aid pronunciation..
- Week 4Module 1: Fundamental Concepts and Definitions
Unit 4: The Human Organs of Speech · 2 hours
Identify the organs of speech.. Describe the process of speech production.. Understand how speech organs work together.. Explore the roles of oral, nasal, and pharyngeal cavities..
- Week 5Module 2: The English Consonants
Unit 1: Parameters for the Classification of English Consonants · 2 hours
Define consonants and their classification.. Describe parameters for classifying consonants.. Identify speech organs used in consonant articulation.. Understand places of articulation (bilabial, labiodental, etc.)..
- Week 6Module 2: The English Consonants
Unit 2: Detailed Description of English Consonants · 2 hours
Describe English consonants in detail.. Use a chart of English consonants.. Practice pronunciation drills for each consonant.. Distinguish between voiced and voiceless consonants..
- Week 7Module 3: Detailed Description of the English Vowels
Unit 1: Parameters for Classification of the English Vowels · 2 hours
Explain parameters for classifying English vowels.. Describe tongue height, tongue position, lip rounding, and vowel length.. Identify English vowels from the sound inventory.. Understand the difference between short and long vowels..
- Week 8Module 3: Detailed Description of the English Vowels
Unit 2: Detailed Description of the Vowels · 2 hours
Categorize English vowels into monophthongs, diphthongs, and triphthongs.. Describe the physical characteristics of each vowel type.. Improve production of English vowels through practice.. Distinguish between rising and centering diphthongs..
- Week 9Module 4: The Syllable and Stress in Spoken English
Unit 1: The Syllable · 2 hours
Define the syllable and its parts (onset, nucleus, coda).. Divide English words into syllables.. Understand English syllable structure.. Explore the relationship between syllable and stress..
- Week 10Module 4: The Syllable and Stress in Spoken English
Unit 2: Word Stress · 2 hours
Define stress and its role in pronunciation.. Understand stress placement in English words.. Learn techniques for predicting stress.. Explore stress in simple, compound, and complex words..
- Week 11Module 4: The Syllable and Stress in Spoken English
Unit 3: Emphatic and Sentence Stress · 2 hours
Distinguish between sentence stress and emphatic stress.. Place stress correctly on words in English sentences.. Understand the concept of stress-timing.. Identify content and structure words..
- Week 12Module 4: The Syllable and Stress in Spoken English
Unit 4: Problems in Phonemic Analysis · 2 hours
Identify complex onsets and codas.. Distinguish between derived and non-derived consonant clusters.. Understand syllabic consonants.. Analyze constraints in English syllable analysis..
- Week 13Module 5: Intonation in Spoken English
Unit 1: Definition and Functions of Intonation · 2 hours
Define intonation and its functions.. Understand the role of pitch in intonation.. Explore grammatical and non-grammatical functions of intonation.. Analyze discourse functions of intonation..
Unit 2: Patterns of Intonation: The Falling Tune and Rising Tune · 2 hours
Understand how intonation works.. Differentiate between falling and rising tunes.. Recognize the use of intonation in spoken English.. Apply intonation patterns to convey meaning..
Preparing for the exam
- Create flashcards for all 49 English phonemes, including example words and IPA symbols.
- Record yourself pronouncing minimal pairs (e.g., ship/sheep) and compare to native speaker recordings.
- Practice transcribing spoken sentences using phonetic symbols, focusing on accurate vowel and consonant representation.
- Identify and practice stress patterns in common English words, paying attention to syllable emphasis.
- Listen to authentic English conversations (podcasts, interviews) and transcribe intonation patterns (rising, falling) to improve recognition.
- Review tutor-marked assignments and focus on correcting identified pronunciation errors.
Questions students ask about this course
What is ENG141 about?
This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts and techniques of spoken English. It aims to equip students with the ability to speak English effectively in various social and academic contexts. The course emphasizes the recognition and articulation of English sounds, articulatory skills, and information extraction from listening texts. Students will develop discussion skills and take responsibility for their own learning through independent work and practical guidance, focusing on mastering the sound system of English and correcting pronunciation problems.
How many units does ENG141 have?
ENG141, Spoken English, has 15 units across 5 modules, over 172 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.
How many credit units is ENG141?
ENG141 carries 3 credit units, at 100 level in Arts.
Is ENG141 hard?
ENG141 is rated intermediate level, with no mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical and practical work, and it has a practical component.
How long does ENG141 take to study?
About 45 hours of study, spread across its 15 units.
How is ENG141 assessed?
ENG141 is assessed by assignments, tutor marked assignments and final examination.
What can I do with ENG141?
Broadcaster, Teacher, Public Speaker, Communication Specialist and Voice Actor.