English and drama

Phonetics and Phonology

Module code: Q3163
Level 5
15 credits in spring semester
Teaching method: Lecture, Seminar
Assessment modes: Coursework

This module gives you a grounding in the fundamentals of phonetics and phonology.

Building on the articulatory phonetics covered in the first year, you’ll explore acoustic analysis and develop the concepts of syllables, stress, tone and phonemes.

You’ll be introduced to key theories of phonological representation, such as distinctive features and autosegmental phonology. You’ll also look at theories of phonological operations, including:

• rules
• ordered derivations
• constraints and constraint interaction
• Optimality Theory.

The module is data-oriented, and phonological generalisations will emerge through the analysis of data sets. You will look at data from varieties of English and typologically different languages. This will shed light on how English relates to other languages typologically, and what the parameters and limits of phonological variation are.

Module learning outcomes

• Phonetically analyse and transcribe recorded speech.
• Define and explain the phonological concepts of syllables, stress, tone and phonemes.
• Analyse phonological data in a range of different theoretical frameworks.
• Explain how English phonology relates typologically to other systems.