CENTRE FOR LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
INTERNATIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL FOR UNDERGRADUATES
THE SOUNDS OF LANGUAGE: PRINCIPLES OF PHONETICS
Key Information
Module code
Taught during
Module workload
Module leader
Department
Credit
Level
Pre-requisites
Assessment
ISSU1032
Block Two: Monday 25 July – Friday 12 August 2016
45 teaching hours plus approximately 100 study hours
Dr. James White
Psychology & Language Sciences, Faculty of Brain Sciences
0.5 UCL credits, 7.5 ECTS, 4 US
Level 1, first year Undergraduate
Standard entry requirements
3 in-class quizzes (75%; 25% per quiz)
Sound production exam (25%)
Module Overview
The module will cover vocal tract anatomy, articulation of speech sounds, transcription of English and nonEnglish sounds in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), tones, linguistic voice quality, basic acoustic and
aerodynamic properties of speech, and an overview of tools used to study these properties.
Week One
 Vocal tract anatomy.
 English consonants and vowels.
 Broad and narrow transcription in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).
 Phonemes and allophones.
Week Two
 Acoustic properties of speech.
 Waveforms and spectrograms.
 Non-English consonants.
 Airstream mechanisms (implosives, ejectives, clicks).
Week Three
 Non-English vowels.
 Tone.
 Voice quality.
Please note that this module description is indicative and may be subject to change.
1
Module Aims
The module is designed to provide students with a strong conceptual foundation in phonetics, as well as
practical training in producing speech sounds from the world’s language, phonetic transcription, and basic
software used for phonetic analysis. The module will provide a foundation for further study in linguistics,
second language instruction, and speech pathology.
Teaching Methods
The module will be delivered using a combination of lectures and practical exercises (tutorials) during the
scheduled contact hours. Outside of contact hours, students will use a textbook, and they will have access to
additional resources and practice materials via Moodle to help them with their revision and practice of the
material. Interaction outside of class will be encouraged by using the Discussion Forum in Moodle. Student
progress will be monitored during the practice exercises (tutorials), and support will be provided as necessary.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this module, students will:





Understand how all of the sounds of the world’s languages are produced.
Be able to transcribe speech sounds using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).
Understand basic acoustic and aerodynamic properties of speech.
Gain practical experience with technology used to study speech sounds.
Apply their knowledge in understanding how speech sounds are used and distributed in the world’s
languages.
Assessment Methods


3 in-class quizzes, 40-minutes each (75%; 25% per quiz)
10-minute sound production exam (25%)
Key Texts
Required text
Rogers, Henry. 2000. The Sounds of Language: An Introduction to Phonetics. Pearson/Taylor& Francis.
Supplementary texts
International Phonetic Association. 1999. Handbook of the International Phonetic Association: A Guide to the
Use of the International Phonetic Alphabet. Cambridge University Press.
Keating, Patricia A., Michael J. Milkos, and William F. Ganong III. 1981. A cross-language study of range of
voice onset time in the perception if initial stop voicing. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 70(5),
1261–1271.
Ladefoged, Peter, and Sandra F. Disner. 2012. Vowels and Consonants, 3rd edition. Wiley-Blackwell.
Ladefoged, Peter, and Keith Johnson. 2014. A Course in Phonetics, 7th edition. Wadsworth.
Ladefoged, Peter, and Ian Maddieson. 1996. The Sounds of the World’s Languages. Wiley-Blackwell.
Lisker, Leigh, and Arthur S. Abramson. 1964. A cross-language study of voicing in initial stops: Acoustical
measurements. Word, 20(3), 384–422.
Pullum, Geoffrey K., and William A. Ladusaw. 1996. Phonetic Symbol Guide. University of Chicago Press.
Please note that this module description is indicative and may be subject to change.
2