68008 - English Language Lab 3 (G.H)

Learning outcomes

NOTE TO INCOMING EXCHANGE STUDENTS: We regret that these workshops are not available to Exchange students, due to the very nature of the workshops and their internal rules. For a list of courses in English you can attend in our Department, please refer to the guidelines (Incoming mobility: info on courses - English (Incoming mobility: info on courses -Spanish-) on the following page (https://edu.unibo.it/en/teaching/international-mobility-programme/incoming-students). If you are interested in a course on English Language Teaching, you can attend course 13726 - English Language Teaching in the second semester (https://www.unibo.it/en/study/course-units-transferable-skills-moocs/course-unit-catalogue/course-unit/2025/498491 ).

At the end of the Laboratory the student will be able to understand texts (level B1+/B2) on a variety of topics mainly concerning the teaching of English to young learners. He/she will be able to interact in English (level B1/B2), especially using simple language suitable for interaction with pupils in the classroom. The student will also have learnt how to write clear and simple texts (level B1+/B2) in English and will be able to understand the main standard accents of several varieties of English. As for the student’s teaching skills, he/she will have learnt how to design and propose classroom activities for the teaching of English pronunciation to young learners.

Course contents

The third-year workshop pursues a twofold objective: (1) to consolidate students’ phonetic and phonological competences in English, with particular attention to pronunciation accuracy; (2) to provide theoretical and methodological knowledge, as well as practical tools, for teaching English pronunciation in early childhood and primary education.

With regard to the first objective, the workshop will introduce the main concepts of phonetics and phonology, with particular reference to the distinction between phonetics and phonology, the relationship between phones and phonemes and between phonemes and graphemes, the difference between standard language and dialect, the concepts of native and non-native accents, and the main prosodic features, such as word stress, sentence stress, and intonation. The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and the fundamental principles of phonological transcription will also be presented.

Taking the standard British accent (General British) as the reference model, the English phonological system, consisting of 44 phonemes, will be introduced, with particular attention to both the perception and production of the corresponding sounds. The concepts of minimal pairs, homophony, homography, and homonymy will also be introduced and further explored through targeted activities and exercises aimed at developing students’ phonological awareness and perceptual-articulatory skills.

The standard British accent will be compared with a selection of native and non-native varieties of English in order to foster awareness of the considerable accentual diversity that characterises contemporary English. Within this perspective, the paradigm of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) will also be introduced, with a discussion of its main implications for English pronunciation and pronunciation teaching in multilingual educational contexts.

With regard to the second objective, the workshop will present a selection of teaching activities and strategies aimed at developing English pronunciation skills in early childhood and primary education. Each proposal will be critically analysed with reference to its suitability for the learners’ age group, the intended learning objectives, the required teaching materials, and the ways in which these materials can be used in educational contexts. This analysis aims to foster the development of students’ planning and methodological competences, while promoting critical reflection on the effectiveness of different teaching practices for pronunciation instruction in early language learning.

For the third-year English workshop, four groups are scheduled in the first semester and four groups in the second semester. Students may enrol in the group of their choice, either in the first or in the second semester. The eight groups offered across the two semesters are equivalent.

Students who are unable or unable to enrol in one of the two semesters will have the opportunity to attend the summer catch-up workshop (for which only one group will be available).

It is not possible to modify enrolment lists or to split attendance across different groups: each student must therefore attend only and exclusively the group in which they are enrolled. Students who decide to withdraw after enrolment are required to promptly notify the lecturer by email, providing their first name, surname, and student ID number.

Attendance is compulsory and exclusively in person. The maximum number of absences allowed is 25% of the total number of scheduled hours, i.e. 8 hours out of a total of 32 hours. The first and the last lessons are not compulsory; however, attendance is strongly recommended. During the first lesson, the workshop programme, including the assessment procedures, will be presented. During the final lesson, students will complete the (compulsory) teaching evaluation questionnaire in class.

Students who are unable to attend the first lesson are nevertheless required to attend the second one. Absence from both the first and the second lesson will automatically result in exclusion from the workshop.

In the event of absences exceeding the maximum number of 8 hours allowed, all missed hours must be made up during the summer catch-up workshop. For example, in the case of 8 + 2 hours of absence, 10 hours will need to be recovered. If absences amount to half or more of the total duration of the workshop (i.e. 16 hours or more), students will be required to repeat the entire workshop.

NB: Attendance of the third-year English workshop is allowed only after having successfully passed the second-year exam.

For further information regarding the English workshops, please refer to the following webpage: https://corsi.unibo.it/magistralecu/ScienzeFormazionePrimaria/laboratori-di-lingua-inglese

Readings/Bibliography

No specific textbook is required.

The materials presented during the lessons will be uploaded to Virtuale on a weekly basis, together with any additional texts, bibliographical references, and relevant websites.

Teaching methods

The workshop activities will primarily focus on practical exercises guided by the lecturer, to be carried out individually, in pairs, in small groups, or in plenary sessions. In order to develop students’ phonetic and phonological competences, activities such as reading aloud, dictation, auditory discrimination exercises, recording and self-assessment activities of oral production, as well as the reading and production of phonological transcriptions, will be proposed. At the same time, students will be involved in the design, implementation, and critical discussion of teaching activities and strategies aimed at teaching English pronunciation in early childhood and primary education, with particular attention to their effectiveness, transferability, and suitability for different educational contexts.

While prioritising a workshop-based and participatory approach, the course will also include moments of teacher-led instruction aimed at providing students with the fundamental concepts of phonetics, phonology, and language teaching methodology, which are considered essential for informed participation in practical activities and for critical reflection on the proposed teaching approaches.

Assessment methods

NB: In order to take the third-year exam, students must have passed the second-year exam and attended the third-year workshop. Exam registration must be completed through AlmaEsami.

Students who are unable to register by the deadline due to technical issues are required to promptly notify the teaching office of the problem, and in any case before the official closure of the registration lists.

The final assessment for the third-year workshop consists of an oral examination and will take place during the regular exam sessions.

The examination is divided into two stages:

Step A: students will answer, in English, one or two questions concerning the phonetic and phonological concepts presented during the lessons;

Step B: students will present and perform a simple teaching activity designed for early childhood or primary education, aimed at teaching a specific aspect of English pronunciation. For example, students may choose a sound, a group of sounds, or a specific feature of English phonetics and/or prosody that they would like to teach to children.

Once they have selected the aspect they wish to focus on, students will be required to design a simple teaching activity aimed at introducing and practising the chosen aspect, creating the necessary materials (e.g. flashcards, pictures, drawings, puppets, charts, mime activities, theatrical props, realia, songs, etc.).

When designing the activity, students will be required to follow the guidelines provided by the lecturer through a specific lesson planning template, which requires them to specify the following elements: activity title, target age group, objectives, any prior knowledge required to carry out the activity, materials, and methodology.

The presentation (or simulation) of the activity must be carried out in English and must be accompanied by all the materials that the student intends to use with their pupils. Students may also use a portable device (tablet) during the presentation/simulation.

The proposed activity cannot be a group activity; each student must therefore present their own individual activity.

The assessment of eligibility will be based on the following criteria: for Step A, language competence, with particular reference to pronunciation, fluency, and the appropriate use of technical terminology when providing answers; for Step B, teaching competence, namely the overall suitability of the activity in relation to the selected age group and the intended learning objective.

The oral examination will last approximately 10 minutes.

The examination does not involve a mark expressed on a 30-point scale; instead, it results in a pass/fail eligibility outcome. Eligibility is awarded upon successful completion of both Step A and Step B.

Students are not required to formally accept the eligibility outcome. The result will be automatically recorded upon official registration of the examination outcome in AlmaEsami.

Although the course only provides for a pass/fail eligibility outcome, the final grade of the examination will also be communicated verbally on the 30-point scale at the end of the exam, in order to allow students to be aware of their level of achievement.

NB: Students with Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) or disabilities are strongly advised to contact the relevant University support office well in advance (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it). The University Service will be responsible for proposing any necessary adjustments to the students concerned. Such adjustments must, however, be submitted to the lecturer for approval at least 15 days in advance. The lecturer will assess their appropriateness in relation to the learning objectives of the course.

N.B. With regard to the use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the examination, the use of AI is prohibited. Any such use constitutes a breach of academic integrity.

Teaching tools

The teaching support materials will mainly consist of slides, videos, original-language texts, flashcards, photocopied materials containing exercises and reading activities.

Office hours

See the website of Paola Maria Caleffi