Advanced Phonetics and Phonology - LAN00129M

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Module summary

In this module you will build on knowledge and skills in phonetic and phonological analysis, gained in prior study, to deepen your understanding of a range of advanced topics and analytical frameworks in both areas.

Related modules

There are no prerequisites for this module. However, a solid prior knowledge of phonetics and phonology is a requirement. Students who lack training in these areas are likely to struggle with the module content from the very outset.

Module will run

Occurrence	Teaching period
A	Semester 1 2025-26

Module aims

This module aims to:

• improve your existing skills in auditory phonetic analysis, including segmental, suprasegmental and voice quality analysis.

• help you gain a greater understanding of the acoustics of speech, how speech acoustics relates to production and perception in articulatory terms.

• develop your awareness of the core phenomena which phonological theory must account for.

• develop your awareness of different theoretical approaches to the analysis of core phonological phenomena, and your ability to evaluate competing analyses.

• equip you with the ability to reason about speech based on a range of phonetic and phonological evidence and using theoretical as well as practical tools.

Module learning outcomes

Students on this module will gain an advanced understanding of auditory, articulatory and acoustic phonetic issues, including:

• Consonants and vowels as represented on the International Phonetic Alphabet chart

• Voice quality analysis using the Vocal Profile Analysis Scheme

• Sound as an acoustic and auditory phenomenon

• The source-filter theory of speech production

• Articulation and resonance

• Common ways of representing speech acoustically: waveforms, spectrograms, spectra, F0 traces

• How the acoustics of speech relates to articulation

Students will be able to:

• establish data-based phonological generalisations of both segmental and prosodic phenomena.

• evaluate competing explanatory accounts of phonological generalisations.

• show an advanced understanding of the challenges in modelling the interplay of phonetics and phonology.

Module content

We will cover a range of topics in phonetics and phonology, which will change year on year, but which will cover the aims and outcomes above. Typically, there will be a mixture of lectures, lab sessions, ear training sessions, sessions focused on phonetic production, and data analysis. The contents will attempt to reflect the current research interests of the Department. We will cover a range of languages and types of data (such as from a native speaker, clean lab recordings, conversational data, data with noisy backgrounds, etc.). We will also cover a range of analytic methods, including auditory and acoustic analysis.

Indicative assessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	100.0

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	100.0

Module feedback

Written feedback will be provided on each assessment within 25 days.

Indicative reading

Johnson, K. (2012). Acoustic and Auditory Phonetics, 3rd edn. Oxford: Wiley Blackwell.

Ladefoged, P. (1996). Elements of Acoustic Phonetics, 2nd edn. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Ladefoged, P., & Maddieson, I. (1996). The sounds of the world’s languages. Oxford: Blackwell.

Pickett, J.M. (1999). The Acoustics of Speech Communication: Fundamentals, Speech Perception Theory, and Technology. London: Pearson Education.