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This course is about understanding the sounds of speech. In the first part of the course, we think carefully about how we produce sound, how we use our vocal apparatus to create different sounds and how these sounds combine in turn to form speech. In the second part, we learn about how we can measure and interpret changes in the air caused by speech. Finally, we explore connections to other areas of language study and we consider how knowledge of speech sounds could be applied in the real world context of forensic investigation.
We are linguistic animals and we communicate primarily using sound. Speech is our most common form of communication; speech plays a huge role in our everyday lives. This course is about understanding speech. In the first part of the course, we think carefully about how we produce sound, how the various muscles we use combine in order to create different sounds and how these sounds combine in turn to form speech (i.e. articulatory phonetics). When we produce speech, we make changes to the air molecules around us (this is what we ‘hear’) and so in tandem with exploring speech articulation, on this course we will also learn about how we can measure and interpret changes in the air caused by speech (i.e. acoustic phonetics). Because speech plays such a large part in our lives, it is difficult to discuss the properties of speech in isolation and so in the second part of this course, we explore connections between phonetics and other areas of linguistics.
By the end of the course, students will: Understand the central principles of acoustic and articulatory phoneticsBe familiar with using new types of software to analyse speechBe able to transcribe speech in detail using the IPA As a student in this course you will not only acquire subject specific skills, you will also acquire a number of transferrable skills. For example, by the end of this course you will be able to... Read critically and objectivelyWrite a scientific reportUse computer tools to analyse language dataMeet deadlinesWork as part of a team
LING101 or LING111 or ENGL123 or ENGL112
CMDS231
Kevin Watson
Brief description of assessment items:A class test will take place during the lecture slot at the mid point of the semester. This will be a short answer assessment testing your knowledge and understanding of the articulatory and acoustic properties of vowels and consonants of English (i.e. material covered in class between weeks1-6). This will account for 30% of your coursework mark overall.Towards the end of the semester, you will hand in a written assignment in which you will have the chance to conduct some basic phonetic analysis and/or discuss theoretical issues in some depth. This will account for 40% of your coursework mark overall.There will also be two takehome tasks, which will each give you the opportunity to develop the skills you will need for your essay. Each task is worth 15% of the course grade.
Ladefoged, Peter; Vowels and consonants ; 2nd; MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2005 (NOTE: not all of the course will follow the structure of these textbooks. You are therefore not required to buy a copy of these books. They can be accessed in the library from the short-loan section. Additional reading will be made available).
Ladefoged, Peter & Keith Johnson; A course in phonetics ; 6th; Boston, Thomson/Wadsworth, 2010.
Library portalThe course outline is available on LEARN (only for students enrolled in this course). LEARN
Domestic fee $697.00
International fee $2,913.00
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
For further information see Language, Social and Political Sciences .