Intermediate phonetics and phonology

Aims

Aims

This module develops your skills in the phonetic and phonological analysis of language. The focus of this module is on two main areas: acoustic phonetics and advanced phonological analysis. We cover a range of topics within segmental and suprasegmental phonetics and phonology, including

• acoustic representations such as waveforms and spectrograms;
• how various articulatory properties map onto the acoustic speech signal;
• advanced concepts in phonology (e.g. phonological features, rule ordering, autosegments, phonological feet), and how these are open to theoretical debate;
• the range of phonological patterns these concepts are supposed to explain.

The module has a strong practical orientation: you will learn how to perform acoustic analyses of speech data, how to apply different theoretical approaches to phonological data and how to engage with original research articles in a critical way. You will also be introduced to a popular phonetic software package called Praat.

Prerequisites

Prerequisites

Students must have successfully completed:

• L09C Introduction to phonetics and phonology (LAN00009C)

Information for visiting students: The teaching of this module assumes that students already have basic knowledge of phonetics/phonology, including the ability to read IPA symbols, to describe place and manner of articulation, to produce simple phonetic descriptions and broad phonetic transcriptions of short stretches of speech, and to provide appropriate structural descriptions of syllables using appropriate phonological notation. Please contact the module convenor if you are in any doubt about whether you have an appropriate background for this module.

Programme

Programme

Contact hours

Two hours per week, including 1-hour lecture and 1-hour practical/seminar over 12 weeks.

Teaching programme

The module is taught through lectures/practicals, in two 6-week blocks:

• Spring weeks 2–8: Segmental phonetics and phonology
• Spring weeks 9–10, Summer weeks 1–4: Suprasegmental phonetics and phonology

Teaching materials

Exact teaching materials may change, but readings are very likely be set from the following:

• Hayward, Katrina. (2000). Experimental phonetics. Longman.
• Nathan, G. (2008). Phonology: a cognitive grammar introduction. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
• Zsiga, E. C. (2013) The sounds of language: an introduction to phonetics and phonology. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

All of the above textbooks are available as ebooks via the library.

Assessment and feedback

Assessment and feedback

Formative VLE quizzes

There will be two short online VLE quizzes that let you test your knowledge of acoustic phonetics. You will receive online feedback through the VLE interface.

Formative projects

There will be two formative projects that each focus on specific topics, and involve elements of phonetics and phonology as well as a reading task based on a journal article. Feedback will consist of model answers and group feedback via the VLE.

Summative assignments

There will be two summative assignments, each worth 50% of your final mark. The assignments contain data-driven exercises from phonetics and phonology as well as a reading task based on a journal article. The phonetics and phonology tasks are each worth 40% of the assessment mark, while the reading task is worth 20%.