Lingua e traduzione inglese II/T 2011-2012 Dominic Stewart
Contact me at: [email protected]
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Lingua e Traduzione Inglese II/T consists of:
- Module A (25 hours, first semester) - Module B (20 hours, second semester)
- The lettorato / esercitazioni linguistiche (annual). For information about the lettorato you should speak to David Tannert and Masturah Alatas.
Module A: The sounds of English
You will learn the phonetic alphabet of standard British English in order (i) to better understand vowel and consonant quality, (ii) to be able to consult the dictionary for pronunciation. Word stress and phrase stress will also be a fundamental part of the module. We will also consider the main phonological differences between standard British English and one or two other varieties.
All photocopies distributed in class will subsequently be available in the copy shop.
Extra-curricula work
You are also required to read one of the works provided in the booklist. This is entirely self-study, since it will not be part of the lessons. You will be tested on your knowledge of the book during the oral exam (see below).
Reading
There is no obligatory reading for this module, though you may find the following texts useful for self- study:
-Hancock, M. 2003. English Pronunciation in Use. Cambridge University Press. Book + CD [very hands-on language school text - useful for self-access. There is a more recent version by Hancock & Donna (2007), but it is more expensive]
-Roach, P. 2009. English Phonetics and Phonology: A Practical Course. Cambridge University Press. Book + CDs [useful and hands-on]
-Rogers, H. 2000. The Sounds of Language: An Introduction to Phonetics. Pearson Education: Edinburgh [useful for consultation]
Assessment
Class test on Module A
This consists of (i) 10 questions on stress patterns, and (ii) 30 two-word phrases in phonetic transcription, which you will have to ‘translate’ into normal spelling (1 hour).
The class test will take place during normal lesson time at the end of the module. Note also that the test will not be repeated: if you do not pass it, or if for any reason you cannot be present, you will be tested orally on the module during the oral exam.
Oral exam (summer 2012, autumn 2012, Jan/Feb 2013)
- you will be asked to discuss the content / plot / characters of the book you have chosen from the list. The questions will be fairly straightforward, constituting simply a stimulus for discussion.
- you will prepare in detail the pronunciation of 20 pages of the book (you can choose any sequence of 20 consecutive pages), since you will be asked to read aloud at least one of them.
N.B. You must pass the accertamento linguistico (see below) before you take the oral exam.
Module B: Making the most of a learner’s dictionary in translation
This module focuses on the type of information - lexical, grammatical, collocational - provided in a monolingual learner’s dictionary. There will be specific focus on ‘local grammar’ in the translation of sentences from Italian to English.
It is strongly recommended that you buy one of the learner’s dictionaries listed below, since it will be useful throughout your university career.
Assessment
Class test on Module B
This consists of the translation of sentences from Italian to English with the assistance of (only) a monolingual learner’s dictionary (1 hour).
Like Module A, the class test will take place during normal lesson time at the end of the module and will not be repeated: if you do not pass it, or if for any reason you cannot be present, you will be tested orally on the module during the oral exam.
Written exam / accertamento linguistico (summer 2012, autumn 2012, Jan/Feb 2013)
This is the exam which corresponds to the lettorato taught by David Tannert and Masturah Alatas, who will give you all the information you need about their teaching activities + assessment.
Your final mark for Lingua e Traduzione Inglese II/T will be calculated as an average of all the tests you have passed.
Non-attending students
Non-attending students (those who attend less than 50% of the lessons) of Modules A and B are required to take all parts of the corresponding exams, and in addition are required to prepare two texts (one for Module A, one for Module B) for discussion during the oral exam. For information on these texts students should come to see me during my office hours. Failure to do this means exclusion from the oral exam.
Recommended language resources:
- Monolingual dictionaries:
I recommend that during your university career you have one learner’s dictionary and one ‘traditional’, native-speaker dictionary. If for the present you have the possibility to purchase only one of these, choose the learner’s dictionary.
Learner’s dictionaries
There are a number of these on the market. I would recommend one of the following. Note that these dictionaries are also available online (for free).
Collins Cobuild English Dictionary for Advanced Learners. Harper Collins.
The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Oxford University Press.
The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. Pearson Longman.
MacMillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners. MacMillan Publishers.
Native-speaker dictionary
Again there are various dictionaries available. I recommend the:
Concise Oxford Dictionary. Oxford University Press.
- Bilingual dictionaries
Extremely reliable is Il Ragazzini, Dizionario inglese-italiano, italiano-inglese. Zanichelli, but any large, modern bilingual dictionary should be fine.
Lingua e traduzione inglese II/T 2011-2012
WORD STRESS EXERCISE (1)
Indicate where the primary stress falls in the following words:
1. technique 2. engineer
3. capitalism 4. develop
5. inadequate 6. comfortable
7. percentage 8. centimetre
9. interesting 10. variety
11. engine 12. report
13. category 14. vinegar
15. effort 16. cartoon
17. police 18. Catholic
19. adjective 20. component
21. cigarette 22. machine
23. Ian (McEwan) 24. accompany
25. afternoon 26. Milan
27. lunatic 28. July
29. essay 30. character
31. absurd 32. allegory
33. Halloween 34. calendar
35. hemisphere / atmosphere 36. concerned
37. fifteen 38. Marilyn Monroe
39. advertise 40. Macbeth
Lingua e traduzione inglese II/T 2011-2012
WORD STRESS EXERCISE (2)
