Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Ministry of Education
Deputy Ministry for Teachers Colleges
English Departments
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM
COURSE SYLLABUS
Course Title: Phonetics and Phonology
Course Code: : Eng 356
Number of credit hours: 2
Instructor:
Office hours:
Website:
Ahmed Abdelshafy Abdallah
As announced in the classroom
faculty.ksu.edu.sa/75189
I- Course Description:
This course introduces students to basic practical and descriptive and descriptive levels of the English
sound system and to such principles in other languages. As regards phonetics, the course covers the
vocal tract and its function in producing speech sounds. Consonants and vowels are described in
articulatory terms, and students are taught phonetic transcription. Moreover, attention is drawn to the
problems that speakers of Arabic have learning English pronunciation. With regard to phonology, on
the other hand, students study the contrastive sounds of language - phonemes- as well as the
phonological processes whereby the pronunciation of such sounds is affected when grouped with other
sounds. In addition, the course covers other phonological issues, such as phoneme distribution,
syllable structure, and prosodic features.
II- Rationale:
This course's significance arises from the fact that pronunciation is considered to be one of the most
important aspects of learning a language. This is because pronunciation errors may lead to confusion
and total misunderstanding. These errors may be avoided when students learn the sounds of the
language they are learning. This includes learning sounds in isolation as well as in connected speech.
III-Course Objectives:
By the end of this course, English majors are expected to be able to:
1. learn a number of technical terms related to the course.
2. describe the production of English sounds.
3. differentiate between consonants and vowels.
4. pronounce English sounds in isolation and in connected speech.
5. differentiate between consonants and vowels in all word-positions.
6. distinguish phonemes and allophones.
7. know the structure of the English syllable.
8. know the different types of stress in English.
9. distinguish strong and weak forms.
10. know different connected speech processes, such as assimilation, elision, linking, etc.
11. know the different intonation patterns of English.
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IV-Calendar, Course Contents and Assignment Specifications:
Time
Topic
Assignments
Week 1
Students
are to:
 First session: Introduction to the
1. acquaint themselves with the basic
Course
issues of the course.
 Second session: Continuation of
2. acquaint themselves with the technical
the first session
terms to be used in the course.
Week 2
Students are to:
 First session: The Production of
1. know the different organs of speech
Speech Sounds
and their function in sound production.
 Second session: Continuation of
2.
know the different speech production
the first session
mechanisms.
Week 3
Students are to:
 First session: English Short
1. learn the production of English short
Vowels
vowels.
 Second session: Continuation of
2. listen to these vowels, and practice
the first session
pronouncing them in class.
3. attempt to provide examples which
contain these vowels in all word
positions and transcribe them.
Week 4
Students are to:
 First session: English Long
1. learn the production of English long
Vowels
vowels.
 Second session: Continuation of
2. listen to these vowels, and practice
the first session
pronouncing them in class.
3. attempt to provide examples which
contain these vowels in all word
positions and transcribe them.
Week 5
Students are to:
 First session: English Diphthongs
1. learn the production of English
 Second session: Continuation of
diphthongs.
the first session
2. listen to these sounds, and practice
pronouncing them in class.
3. attempt to provide examples which
contain these diphthongs in all word
positions and transcribe them.
Week 6
Students are to:
 First session: English Triphthongs
1. learn the production of English
 Second session: Continuation of
diphthongs.
the first session
2. listen to these sounds, and practice
pronouncing them in class.
3. attempt to provide examples which
contain these triphthongs in all word
positions and transcribe them.
Week 7
Students are to:
 First session: English Plosives
1. learn the production of English
 Second session: Continuation of
plosives.
the first session
2. listen to these sounds, and practice
pronouncing them in class.
3. attempt to provide examples which
contain these plosives in all word
positions and transcribe them.
2
Week 8


Week 9


First session: English Fricatives
and Affricates
Second session: Continuation of
the first session
First session: English Nasals and
Approximants
Second session: Continuation of
the first session
Week 10


First session: The Phoneme
Second session: Continuation of
the first session
Week 11


First session: The Syllable
Second session: Continuation of
the first session
Week 12


First session: Stress
Second session: Continuation of
the first session
Week 13


First session: weak Forms
Second session: Continuation of
the first session
Week 14


First session: Connected Speech
Second session: Continuation of
the first session
Week 15


First session: Intonation
Second session: Continuation of
the first session
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Students are to:
1. learn the production of English
fricatives and affricates.
2. listen to these sounds, and practice
pronouncing them in class.
3. attempt to provide examples which
contain these sounds in all word
positions and transcribe them.
Students are to:
1. learn the production of English nasals
and approximants.
2. listen to these sounds, and practice
pronouncing them in class.
3. attempt to provide examples which
contain these sounds in all word
positions and transcribe them.
Students are to:
1. distinguish phonemes and allophones.
2. attempt to provide examples of
minimal pairs which contain
phonemes and allophones in English
and other languages.
Students are to:
1. distinguish strong and weak syllables.
2. distinguish open and closed syllables.
3. attempt to provide examples from
English and other languages.
Students are to:
1. practice different stress patterns in
simple words.
2. practice different stress patterns in
complex words.
3. practice patterns of sentence stress.
4. attempt to provide examples from
English and other languages.
Students are to:
1. distinguish strong and weak forms.
2. attempt to provide examples from
English and other languages.
Students are to:
1. distinguish different connected speech
processes, such as assimilation,
elision, linking, etc.
2. attempt to provide examples from
English and other languages.
Students are to:
1. distinguish the different intonation
patterns of English.
2. distinguish the functions of these
intonation patterns.
3. attempt to provide examples from
English and other languages.
V- Evaluation:
2 In-term written exams
Final written exam
Total
40 marks
60 marks
100 marks
VI- Instructional Procedures:
Lecturing and discussion.
VII- General Course Requirements:
Students are expected to:
1. attend classes regularly.
2. take part in classroom discussions and practicals.
3. listen regularly to English sounds as well as utterances recorded on tapes.
4. submit assignments on time.
5. sit for the midterm and final exams.
VIII- Required texts:
- Roach, P. (1991). English Phonetics and Phonology. Cambridge: CUP.
IX- References
1. O'Conner, J.D. (1986). Phonetics, London: Pelican.
2. O'Connor, J. D. (1987). Better English Pronunciation. Cambridge: CUP.
3. Clark, J. & Yallop, C. (1992). An Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology. London:
Blackwell.
4. Ladefoged, P. (1993). A Course in Phonetics. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
5. Gimson, A. C. (1997). An Introduction to the Pronunciation of English. London: Arnold.
X- Internet sites for teaching English as a second or foreign language:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
http://www.celt.stir.ac.uk/staff/HIGDOX/STEPHEN/PHONO/PHONOLG.HTM
http://www.phon.ox.ac.uk/~jcoleman/PHONOLOGY1.htm
http://www.ling.upenn.edu/courses/ling001/phonology.html
http://www.ims.uni-stuttgart.de/lehre/teaching/2004-SS/GK-Phon/
http://www.ling.hawaii.edu/faculty/stampe/phon.html
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