Students

LING217 – Phonetics and Phonology

2014 – S1 Day

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Alice Wu
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
LING110(P) or admission to GDipSphComm
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit forms the essential background to all aspects of speech and hearing science, and to all of the speech and hearing-based research projects in the Centre for Language Sciences (CLaS). This unit focuses on key areas in phonetics and phonology, and aims to provide training in phonetic and phonological principles, enabling students to carry out phonemic and phonetic transcriptions of spoken English. It also provides students with basic ear training of the sounds of the world's languages. The unit is divided into two parallel streams. One stream is skill-based with the aim of developing competence in transcription. The second stream is theory-based encompassing fundamental concepts relating to the articulation of vowels and consonants as well as complex articulations, airstream mechanisms and laryngeal features, and their use in languages. In addition, the sounds of Australian English are contrasted with other dialects of English. Students are also introduced to the important concepts of phonology through an examination of phonemes and allophones, syllables, word stress and some important aspects of prosody. The tutorials amplify some of the main points dealt with in the lectures and are specifically concerned with developing phonetic ear-training skills and competence in phonetic and phonemic analyses.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • successfully use the International Phonetic Alphabet
  • perform simple phonemic and phonetic transcription tasks
  • demonstrate an understanding of speech articulation
  • classify speech sounds through a thorough understanding of the major characteristics of vowels and consonants
  • show an understanding of the distinction between phonemes and allophones through problems in phonemic analysis
  • show some of the ways that languages and dialects differ in both their phoneme inventories and the pronunciation of their phonemes
  • demonstrate an understanding of the concept of coarticulation
  • illustrate the close relationships between phonetics/phonology and social factors pronunciation
  • explain the structure of syllables and how phonotactic constraints result in different sets of legal syllables for different languages
  • demonstrate a basic understanding of the phonology of intonation

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
IPA Test 15% No Week 8
Phonetic Transcription 25% No Week 11-13
Exam 35% No Exam Period
Phonemic Transcription 25% No Weeks 4-6

IPA Test

Due: Week 8
Weighting: 15%

 

Online test assessing recognition and representation of sounds of the world’s languages


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • successfully use the International Phonetic Alphabet
  • perform simple phonemic and phonetic transcription tasks
  • demonstrate an understanding of speech articulation
  • classify speech sounds through a thorough understanding of the major characteristics of vowels and consonants

Phonetic Transcription

Due: Week 11-13
Weighting: 25%

 

Phonetic/allophonic transcription task involving analysis of single words, short phrases and a passage using the principles of the IPA applied to the examination of Australian English.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • successfully use the International Phonetic Alphabet
  • perform simple phonemic and phonetic transcription tasks
  • show an understanding of the distinction between phonemes and allophones through problems in phonemic analysis
  • demonstrate an understanding of the concept of coarticulation
  • explain the structure of syllables and how phonotactic constraints result in different sets of legal syllables for different languages

Exam

Due: Exam Period
Weighting: 35%

 

2 hour exam covering all major topics with the exception of transcription. The exam is in short answer format.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • successfully use the International Phonetic Alphabet
  • demonstrate an understanding of speech articulation
  • classify speech sounds through a thorough understanding of the major characteristics of vowels and consonants
  • show some of the ways that languages and dialects differ in both their phoneme inventories and the pronunciation of their phonemes
  • demonstrate an understanding of the concept of coarticulation
  • illustrate the close relationships between phonetics/phonology and social factors pronunciation
  • explain the structure of syllables and how phonotactic constraints result in different sets of legal syllables for different languages
  • demonstrate a basic understanding of the phonology of intonation

Phonemic Transcription

Due: Weeks 4-6
Weighting: 25%

 

Phonemic transcription tasks involving analysis of single words, short phrases and passages using both the Harrington Cox and Evans revised transcription system and the Mitchell and Delbridge transcription system.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • successfully use the International Phonetic Alphabet
  • perform simple phonemic and phonetic transcription tasks
  • show an understanding of the distinction between phonemes and allophones through problems in phonemic analysis
  • explain the structure of syllables and how phonotactic constraints result in different sets of legal syllables for different languages

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy  http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html

Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html

Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • successfully use the International Phonetic Alphabet
  • perform simple phonemic and phonetic transcription tasks

Assessment tasks

  • Phonetic Transcription
  • Exam
  • Phonemic Transcription

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • successfully use the International Phonetic Alphabet
  • perform simple phonemic and phonetic transcription tasks
  • demonstrate an understanding of speech articulation
  • classify speech sounds through a thorough understanding of the major characteristics of vowels and consonants
  • show an understanding of the distinction between phonemes and allophones through problems in phonemic analysis
  • show some of the ways that languages and dialects differ in both their phoneme inventories and the pronunciation of their phonemes
  • demonstrate an understanding of the concept of coarticulation
  • illustrate the close relationships between phonetics/phonology and social factors pronunciation
  • explain the structure of syllables and how phonotactic constraints result in different sets of legal syllables for different languages
  • demonstrate a basic understanding of the phonology of intonation

Assessment tasks

  • IPA Test
  • Phonetic Transcription
  • Exam
  • Phonemic Transcription

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • perform simple phonemic and phonetic transcription tasks
  • show an understanding of the distinction between phonemes and allophones through problems in phonemic analysis
  • demonstrate an understanding of the concept of coarticulation
  • illustrate the close relationships between phonetics/phonology and social factors pronunciation
  • explain the structure of syllables and how phonotactic constraints result in different sets of legal syllables for different languages
  • demonstrate a basic understanding of the phonology of intonation

Assessment tasks

  • IPA Test
  • Phonetic Transcription
  • Exam
  • Phonemic Transcription

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • perform simple phonemic and phonetic transcription tasks
  • show an understanding of the distinction between phonemes and allophones through problems in phonemic analysis
  • demonstrate an understanding of the concept of coarticulation

Assessment tasks

  • Phonetic Transcription
  • Exam
  • Phonemic Transcription

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Assessment task

  • Phonemic Transcription

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Assessment task

  • Exam