
- UCAS course code
- Q1Q3
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Course unit details:
The Sounds of Language
Unit code | LELA10322 |
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Credit rating | 20 |
Unit level | Level 1 |
Teaching period(s) | Semester 2 |
Offered by | Linguistics & English Language |
Available as a free choice unit? | Yes |
Overview
The focus of this course is speech sounds. We will learn how sounds are made, how they can be described, analysed and transcribed, and how the sounds of English differ from those of other languages. We will also consider how sounds can be organized into higher-level structures, and we will study the relationship between sound and meaning.
Aims
The principal aims of the course unit are as follows:
- to introduce students to fundamental notions in phonetics and phonology
- to provide experience in performing phonetic and phonological analysis
- to provide extensive training in auditory transcription
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course students will be able to:
- Understand fundamental concepts in phonetics and phonology, and apply them critically to analyse new data
Knowledge and understanding
By the end of this course students will be able to:
- Understand the basic mechanisms of speech production
- Provide an articulatory description of speech sounds
- Characterise the sounds of standard English (RP), and relate them to the inventories of other English dialects/other languages
- Identify some phonological patterns (contrastive and complementary distribution, feature specification)
- Characterise the differences between phonetics and phonology concerning the object and the method of study
Intellectual skills
By the end of this course students will be able to:
- Analyse new linguistic data (provide phonemic analysis, spot phonological patterns)
- Apply selected phonetic and phonological methods to the study of other linguistic subfields, such as field linguistics or sociolinguistics
Practical skills
By the end of this course students will be able to:
- Read phonetic transcription
- Transcribe speech sounds
Transferable skills and personal qualities
By the end of this course students will be able to:
- develop time-management skills, as well as skills in independent study.
Assessment methods
Coursework portfolio | 40% |
Exam | 60% |
Quizzes | N/A (formative) |
Feedback methods
Feedback method | Formative or summative |
Coursework marks and feedback | Summative |
Exam marks | Summative |
Scores on Blackboard quizzes | Formative |
Recommended reading
Zsiga, E.C., 2012. The sounds of language: an introduction to phonetics and phonology. John Wiley & Sons
Study hours
Scheduled activity hours | |
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Assessment written exam | 1.5 |
Lectures | 22 |
Seminars | 11 |
Independent study hours | |
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Independent study | 165.5 |
Teaching staff
Staff member | Role |
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Donald Morrison | Unit coordinator |