Contrastive and Learner Language Analysis

After completing this course you will be able to:

• discuss some of the problems faced by Norwegians learning English;
• describe similarities and differences between English and Norwegian;
• use electronic text corpora in contrastive and learner language analysis.

The course assumes a good proficiency in written and oral English

The course requires ENG1100 - English Grammar, an introduction or similar knowledge.

Students at UiO must apply for courses in StudentWeb.

International applicants, if you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures for international applicants.

The examination in this course is not available for external candidates. Only students admitted to the course may sit for the examination.

Seminar, two hours per week for 14 weeks, 28 hours in all.

Students must turn in two shorter essays. The essays must be approved before the student can take the final exam.

Attendance is an obligatory class requirement (80%). Additional absences must be justified by documentation to the exam adviser.

The obligatory requirements must be fulfilled in order to qualify for the exam.

The evaluation will be based on a take home exam spanning over 3 days. The paper must be approximately ten standard pages (a standard page consists of 2,300 characters). This does not include references and bibliography. In the evaluation, both content and language are taken into account.

You can usually resit an exam, but the conditions depend on whether you had a valid reason for absence from the regular exam. Read more about resitting an exam.

The course requirements are valid the two next semesters the course is taught.

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.

The results will be found on the StudentWeb within three weeks after the exam.

English

You may request an explanation of your grades, and you may also appeal against your grades or make a complaint about formal examination errors. Read more about explanations and appeals.

Evaluation

Feedback from our students is essential if we are to provide the best possible education. As a student at the University of Oslo you will be asked to participate in various types of evaluation of our courses. Every time a course is given, we ask students to participate in mid-term evaluations, and periodically we ask them to participate in periodic evaluation of the course.

Reports from periodic evaluations (in Norwegian)

Overlapping courses

This course overlaps with ENG4162 - Contrastive Analysis and Learner Language (discontinued).

Kompendium:

• Johansson, Stig: Contrastive Analysis and Learner Language, 2008. Lastes ned fra Fronter (under "Fellesrom/Teaching material") - http://fronter.com/uio

Artikkelkompendium (Unipub):

• Ädel, Annelie. 2008. Involvement features in writing: do time and interaction trump register awareness? In Gilquin, Gaëtanelle, Szilvia Papp and María Belén Díez-Bedmar (eds.) Linking up contrastive and learner corpus research. Amsterdam/New York: Rodopi. 35-53.
• Aijmer, Karin. 2002. Modal adverbs of certainty and uncertainty in an English-Swedish perspective. In: H. Hasselgård, S. Johansson, B. Behrens, and C. Fabricius-Hansen (eds), Information Structure in a Cross-linguistic Perspective, 97-112. Amsterdam: Rodopi.
• Altenberg, Bengt and Marie Tapper. 1998. The use of adverbial connectors in advanced Swedish learners¿ written English. In: S. Granger (ed), Learner English on Computer, 80-93. London & New York: Longman.
• Boström Aronsson, Mia. 2003. On clefts and information structure in Swedish EFL writing. In: S. Granger and S. Petch-Tyson (eds), Extending the Scope of Corpus-based Research: New Applications, New Challenges, 197-210. Amsterdam: Rodopi.
• Fretheim, Thorstein. 2005. Politeness in Norway: How can you be polite and sincere? In: L. Hickey and M. Stewart (eds), Politeness in Europe, 145-158. Clevedon etc.: Multilingual Matters.
• Granger, Sylviane. 1998. The computer learner corpus: A versatile new source of data for SLA research. In: S. Granger (ed), Learner English on Computer, 3-18. London & New York: Longman.
• Hasselgren, Angela. 1994. Lexical teddy bears and advanced learners: A study into the ways Norwegian students cope with English vocabulary. International Journal of Applied Linguistics 4: 237-259.
• Hasselgård, Hilde. 2004. Spatial linking in English and Norwegian. In: K. Aijmer and H. Hasselgård (eds.), Translation and Corpora, 163-188. Göteborg: Acta Universitatis Gothoburgensis.
• Hasselgård, Hilde. 2009. Thematic choice and expressions of stance in English argumentative texts by No

If you have a disability or a health problem that entails significant inconvenience in an examination situation, you may be considered for special examination arrangements. Mothers who are breastfeeding may apply for extra time to complete the exam.

A student may sit this exam up to 3 times. If a student wishes to withdraw from the exam, s/he must do so in StudentWeb at least two weeks prior to the first day of the exam. Failure to do so will be counted as one of the three opportunities to sit the exam.