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