Høst 2024

ENG-1014 Introduction to English Language - 10 stp

The course is administrated by

Institutt for språk og kultur

Type of course

This course may be taken as a single course. A good grasp of oral and written English is recommended.

This course is designed with the Norwegian context in mind, and therefore includes (but is not limited to) a Norwegian-English contrastive perspective. Knowledge of Norwegian is not necessary to take the course, and non-Norwegian-speaking students who wish to learn more about English are welcome to take it, but should be aware that some exercises are specifically designed to address challenges which Norwegians experience in learning English, and in some cases these may not coincide with the primary challenges for speakers of other languages.

Course contents

In this course, students will be taught how to make the transition between simply using English to understanding and reflecting on its structure and functions. The basic definitions and concepts for the major subfields within the scope of English study will be introduced. In addition, there will be an emphasis on current usage and creativity, inter and intra speaker variation, and English as a global language.

Admission requirements

Higher Education Entrance Qualification (generell studiekompetanse) or prior learning and work experience (realkompetanse).

Application code: 9199 - Enkeltemner (ikke realfag), lavere grad (Nordic applicants).

Objective of the course

The students have the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge

Students have developed:

knowledge of the basic terms and concepts underlying the study of sound systems, word and sentence structure, and meaning.
an appreciation of the difference between prescriptive and descriptive approaches to language use.
an understanding of creativity and change in modern English usage, including its relationship to digital modes of communication and social media.
an understanding of how the use of English in its global spread varies with context, region, style and speaker

Skills

Students can:

read and analyse simple English language texts from naturally occurring corpora to illustrate the different aspects of knowledge described above.
reflect critically on their own and others’ use of the English language.

Language of instruction

English.

Teaching methods

The teaching is distributed over the 13 weeks (4 hours per week). Lectures every week are supplemented by seminars in which students do exercises and participate in discussion.

Quality assurance:

The course undergoes a midterm evaluation or an end-of-term evaluation every third year.