Phonetics & Phonology

Description

Course Description:

This course introduces students to the fields of phonetics and phonology, focusing on the nature of speech sounds and the sound patterns of human languages. It covers articulatory and acoustic phonetics, the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), phonological rules, and the structure of sound systems in languages. By the end of the course, students will be able to transcribe speech, analyze phonological patterns, and understand the role of phonetics and phonology in linguistic theory.

Course Objectives:

• Understand the physical and articulatory properties of speech sounds.
• Develop proficiency in using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) for transcription.
• Learn the principles of acoustic phonetics and sound analysis.
• Analyze the phonological structures and patterns of languages.
• Understand phonological processes such as assimilation, syllabification, and stress.
• Explore the relationship between phonetics and phonology in linguistic theory.

Week 1: Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology

• Topics:
  • Overview of phonetics and phonology.
  • Key differences between the two fields.
  • The role of speech sounds in language.
• Practice:
  • Introduction to speech sounds and organs of speech.
  • Basic phonetic transcription exercises.

Week 2: Articulatory Phonetics – Consonants

• Topics:
  • Anatomy of speech production.
  • Consonant classification: place and manner of articulation, voicing.
  • Overview of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).
• Practice:
  • IPA transcription of consonants.
  • Production exercises for different consonants.

Week 3: Articulatory Phonetics – Vowels

• Topics:
  • Vowel classification: tongue height, tongue backness, lip rounding.
  • Cardinal vowels.
  • Diphthongs and vowel charts.
• Practice:
  • IPA transcription of vowels and diphthongs.
  • Vowel articulation exercises.

Week 4: Acoustic Phonetics – Sound Waves and Properties

• Topics:
  • Acoustic properties of speech sounds: frequency, amplitude, and duration.
  • Sound waves and spectrograms.
  • Differences between acoustic and articulatory phonetics.
• Practice:
  • Introduction to analyzing sound with spectrogram software.
  • Identifying vowel formants and consonant characteristics acoustically.

Week 5: IPA Mastery – Transcription Practice

• Topics:
  • Review of IPA symbols for consonants, vowels, and suprasegmentals.
  • Diacritics and their use in phonetic transcription.
  • Transcription conventions for different languages.
• Practice:
  • Extensive transcription exercises using recordings of various languages.
  • Peer-review of transcription accuracy.

Week 6: Introduction to Phonology – Phonemes and Allophones

• Topics:
  • Phonemic vs. phonetic representation.
  • Phonemes and allophones: contrastive and complementary distribution.
  • Minimal pairs and near-minimal pairs.
• Practice:
  • Identification of phonemes and allophones in English and other languages.
  • Exercises on finding minimal pairs.

Week 7: Phonological Rules and Processes

• Topics:
  • Phonological rules: assimilation, dissimilation, deletion, insertion.
  • Features and distinctive feature theory.
  • Underlying vs. surface representation.
• Practice:
  • Analysis of phonological processes in different languages.
  • Deriving phonological rules from data.

Week 8: Syllable Structure and Phonotactics

• Topics:
  • Syllables: onset, nucleus, coda, and rhyme.
  • Syllable types and phonotactic constraints.
  • Cross-linguistic variation in syllable structure.
• Practice:
  • Syllable division exercises.
  • Analyzing phonotactic patterns in different languages.

Week 9: Suprasegmentals – Stress, Tone, and Intonation

• Topics:
  • Suprasegmental features: stress, pitch, tone, and intonation.
  • Stress patterns in English and other languages.
  • Tone languages and their phonological significance.
• Practice:
  • Identifying stress and intonation patterns in English.
  • Analysis of tone in tonal languages.

Week 10: Phonological Typology and Universals

• Topics:
  • Phonological typology: how languages differ in their sound systems.
  • Universals and markedness in phonology.
  • The sonority hierarchy and its role in phonology.
• Practice:
  • Comparison of phonological systems across languages.
  • Identifying marked and unmarked phonological features.

Week 11: The Interface Between Phonetics and Phonology

• Topics:
  • How phonetic reality influences phonological rules.
  • Gradient vs. categorical distinctions.
  • Theories on the relationship between phonetics and phonology.
• Practice:
  • Case studies of phonological processes with phonetic motivation.
  • Data analysis linking phonetic and phonological patterns.

Week 12: Review and Final Project Presentation

• Topics:
  • Recap of key concepts from the course.
  • Discussion of contemporary issues in phonetics and phonology.
• Practice:
  • Presentations of final projects involving the phonetic and phonological analysis of a specific language or dialect.
  • Peer-review and discussion of findings.

Assessment Methods:

• Quizzes and Assignments: Weekly quizzes on transcription, analysis, and key concepts.
• Midterm Exam: A test covering articulatory and acoustic phonetics, IPA, and basic phonological principles.
• Final Project: Students will conduct a phonetic and phonological analysis of a language, dialect, or speech phenomenon, presenting their findings in both written and oral formats.
• Participation: In-class transcription exercises, group discussions, and data analysis sessions.

Recommended Readings:

• Ladefoged, P., & Johnson, K. (2014). A Course in Phonetics (7th Edition). Cengage Learning.
• Gussenhoven, C., & Jacobs, H. (2017). Understanding Phonology (4th Edition). Routledge.
• Davenport, M., & Hannahs, S. J. (2010). Introducing Phonetics and Phonology (3rd Edition). Routledge.