Phonetics and Phonology

This course builds on the fundamental introduction of phonetics and phonology covered in Linguistics I. First, we will refresh previous knowledge on acoustic and articulatory phonetics, focussing on the physiological, acoustic and cognitive aspects of human speech sound production and perception. A more detailed discussion of sound classes, vowel quality features, place and manner of consonant articulation as well as suprasegmental English phonology will follow after that. We will pay special attention to those features of English pronunciation which are difficult for (German) L2 learners to master. Alongside this, the course will offer an introduction into PRAAT, the worldwide quasi-standard software for acoustic/phonetic analyses, and we will practice ways of systematically transcribing spoken language. Thus, the course aims to provide thorough theoretical background knowledge and directly apply it for different purposes.

Course requirements and assignments will be discussed in the first session.