NC State University

Student Quotes

  • "When I decided to take FLE 400 Class, I was not too sure of myself and was very eager to drop this class if I ever run into the slightest problem.  Though that changed once I spoke and had some online classes with Professor Quarterman.  Prof. Quarterman was an excellent teacher; very energetic, knows her teaching very well, and made each and every class fun.  I was always looking forward to our online Wednesday night classes.  I will recommend this class to anyone who would like to improve their English speech, especially to non-native speakers of English."
  • --A.O., Raleigh, NC
  • "This course provides a systematic approach to the study of American English pronunciation. The coverage is comprehensive. Interactions with professor are excellent using many online features just like real classroom thanks to technological advances. Improvements are clearly noticeable after one semester. This is an excellent course that combines online convenience with classroom interactions."
  • --LD, Cary, NC

About the Course

Instructor: Carolyn Quarterman , quarterman@social.chass.ncsu.edu

Office hours: Office hours for the campus and online courses vary from semester to semester. However, synchronous pronunciation practice sessions are coordinated in conjunction with student schedules. Office hours can also be scheduled by appointment.

Credits: 3 credits

Prerequisites: Sophomore standing

Required text: Grant, L. (2000). Well Said: Pronunciation for Clear Communication (2nd ed.). Heinle & Heinle: Boston, MA. Purchase Now!

Course Objectives

This course provides intensive pronunciation practice for non-native speakers of English who want to improve the clarity of their English speech. The primary focus of the course is improvement in the areas that are most important in making speech more understandable and native-like: word-stress and phrase-stress, intonation, and the rhythm of English speech. In addition, there will be work on vowel and consonant sounds throughout the semester. Strategies for practicing and improving your pronunciation outside of class will also be introduced. We will examine the following objectives:

  • Discover which features of English pronunciation you need to work on to communicate more clearly.
  • Improve intelligibility by gaining a better understanding of English rhythm, stress, and intonation.
  • Improve your ability to understand fast, casual conversations in English.
  • Learn strategies for practicing and improving pronunciation on your own.

Learning Modules

  • Getting Started
  • Understanding the Phonetic Alphabet
  • The Sound of /Θ/
  • Word Stress, Noun/Verb Pairs and Rhythm
  • The Rhythm of English
  • The Sounds of -s Endings and sh, ch, zh, dz
  • The Sounds of the -ed Endings and the -ic Word Stress
  • Stress on Numbers and Compound Nouns
  • Stress on Names
  • Phrasal Verbs and Stress on -ate Words
  • Focus on Vowel Sounds
  • The Sound of /e/
  • Focus and Stress Rules
  • The Sounds of /u/ vs. /uw/
  • Intonation

Course Requirements

  • [20%] Participation, practice, and performance. This grade will be calculated based on several activities: (1) regular participation in online assignments and activities, (2) recordings which are assigned and recorded each week, and (3) promptness of assignment completion.
  • [20%] Individual Presentations. There will be two presentations: one will be given at midterm; the second will be given during the second half of the semester. These presentations will be submitted as recordings online.
  • [40%] Midterm and Final Oral Exams.
  • [20%] Quizzes. Approximately 5-6 quizzes will be given during the semester.