The University of York Delivers Innovative Phonetics for Teaching English Pronunciation Course to Karazin University

The Department of Language and Linguistic Science at the University of York has delivered an 11-week course titled "Phonetics for Teaching English Pronunciation", designed specifically for the Department of English Philology and Foreign Language Teaching Methods at V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University (KKNU).

Course Overview

The course, which ran from February 27 to May 8, 2024, was organized by the University of York and featured prominent instructors Sam Hellmuth, James Chantry, Marina Cantarutti, and Richard Ogden. It included 90-minute weekly classes that provided a comprehensive overview of phonetics, emphasizing practical methods for teaching English pronunciation.

Participants

The course was attended by a distinguished group of faculty from KKNU, including Svitlana Virotchenko (Dean of the School of Foreign Languages), Iryna Morozova (Acting Head of the Department of English Philology and Foreign Language Teaching Methods), Olha Kuznietsova, Valeriia Nikolaienko, Anastasiia Vakulenko, Darina Hakalo, Lina Nehoda, Alevtyna Kalyuzhna, Olga Meleshchenko, Tetiana Astapova, Olena Radchenko, Iryna Lavrinenko, Maksym Karpusenko, Tetiana Skrypnyk, Nataliia Marchenko, Olesia Tymchenko, Yaroslava Litovchenko, Natalia Startseva, Valeriia Ilchenko, Inna Davydenko, Olena Karpenko, and Larysa Izotova. The course was administered by Lingzi Cook and Olha Kuznietsova.

Course Content

The curriculum covered a wide range of topics, including:

1. Introduction to phonetics and teaching pronunciation.
2. Anatomy, articulation, and the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).
3. Vowel sounds and a listening experiment for native Ukrainian speakers.
4. Consonant sounds and teaching methods.
5. Prosody and suprasegmentals in L2 pronunciation.
6. Word stress and intonation.
7. Development and presentation of a phonetics course syllabus.

Learning Outcomes

Participants enhanced their expertise in phonetics, gaining insights into the IPA, English vowel and consonant sounds, stress, rhythm, intonation, and key topics in L2 phonology research. They also developed a syllabus for a new phonetics course and gained access to authentic teaching materials and core reading resources. Additionally, they devised a methodology and materials for an elective course in Practical English Pronunciation, set to be piloted in the 2024/25 academic year.

Further Cooperation

The partnership between the Department of Language and Linguistic Science (UOY) and the Department of English Philology and Foreign Language Teaching Methods (KKNU) will continue with several collaborative initiatives, including ongoing counselling on delivering the phonetics course to first-year undergraduate students, provision of video mini-lectures by course instructors as supplementary materials, joint research on the pronunciation features of Ukrainian students’ native language compared to English, and establishment of a student speaking club, supported by the student unions of both universities.

This collaboration marks a significant step forward in enhancing English language education at KKNU and fostering international academic partnership between the University of York and Karazin University.