Phonetics

Subject LING20005 (2014)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2014.

Credit Points: 12.50
Level: 2 (Undergraduate)
Dates & Locations:

This subject is not offered in 2014.

Time Commitment: Contact Hours: 2 hours of lectures per week and a 1 hour practical class. There will be no practical in the first and last weeks of semester.
Total Time Commitment:

3 contact hours/week, 5.5 additional hours/week. Total of 8.5 hours per week.

Prerequisites:

none

Corequisites:

none

Recommended Background Knowledge:

Some prior study in Linguistics & Applied Linguistics is desirable, e.g. a first year LING subject.

Non Allowed Subjects:

none

Core Participation Requirements:

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Subject Overview:

This subject involves the study of the sound distinctions occurring in human languages, such as basic articulatory, acoustic and auditory phonetics. Students should develop skills in perceiving, articulating, and transcribing speech sounds. Students should also learn how to interpret sound spectrograms and how acoustic phonetic techniques can be used to supplement traditional phonetic transcription.

Learning Outcomes:

Students who complete this subject will be able to demonstrate the following skills: perception and articulation of unusual speech sounds and sound sequence from a wide variety of languages. Students will be able to transcribe speech sounds according to the principles of the international phonetic alphabets. Students will also acquire knowledge of basic accoustic phonetics and its relationship to articulation and learn to read sound spectograms.

Assessment:

Two transcription assignments (the equivalent of 1800 words) 45% (one due mid-semester and the other due at the end of the semester), two practical tests (800 words) 20% (held during the examination period) and a closed-book two-hour examination 35% (during the examination period).

This subject has the following hurdle requirements:

  • Regular participation in tutorials is required with a minimum of 75% attendance.
  • All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.

Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per day and in-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked.

Prescribed Texts:

“A course in phonetics” Peter Ladefoged and Keith Johnson 2011

Breadth Options:

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
Generic Skills:
  • have acquired skill in observation and attention to detail through tutorial and assignment preparation, and examination revision.
  • have strengthened their computer literacy through use of IT in acoustic and auditory analyses of spoken language.
  • have improved their ability to communicate knowledge intelligibly and economically through tutorial preparation and participation and assignment preparation.
Related Majors/Minors/Specialisations: English Language Studies
English Language Studies Major
Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
Related Breadth Track(s): Linguistics: Language Structure and Analysis

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