English Literature: Reading, Recitation and Appreciation

“English Literature: Reading, Recitation and Appreciation” is an updated course based on a traditional course “Pronunciation” designed for English majors. It is a compulsory course for first-year English majors in the four-year program. The course’s main purpose is to deal with any, if at all, inaccuracies and accents that students have before coming to university. It will also include materials and exercises on basic phonetics, introducing rudimentary theoretical knowledge while focusing on the practical.

The course offers students the opportunity to correct their pronunciation, improve their accent, and be introduced to a variety of classic works in English literature, including poetry, drama and famous oratorical works. These literary materials will be incorporated into practice of pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm. Additional materials shall broaden the scope of students’ understanding of contexts, and how rhythm, intonation, rhyme and rhythm work together in an organic piece of English

writing. On a micro level, the course sets out to improve students’ accent and pronunciation. On a macro level, it aims to facilitate understanding of students’ consciousness of the English language and literature, especially how it is spoken, written, and performed.