Articulatory and Acoustic Phonetics

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2015:

85 hours

Nil

Nil

N/A

N/A

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/

This subject introduces the study of speech sounds and their perception. The course provides an introduction to the International Phonetic Alphabet, and illustrates its uses as a transcription tool. The course will cover both broad and narrow transcription of speech. Students will be introduced to the acoustic analysis of speech sounds, and will gain an understanding of how the acoustic structure of sounds is related to their perception.

At the completion of this course students will:

• use broad and narrow IPA to accurately transcribe spoken language
• understand how speech sounds are produced in the vocal tract, the effect of the position of the articulators (tongue, lips, velum, etc.) on speech sounds and the acoustic principles underlying these effects
• understand the acoustic features of different speech sounds as they relate to their production and auditory discrimination
• understand the range of intensity, frequency and temporal components found in normal speech sounds and the effects of inter- and intra- speaker variations
• understand the effect of intensity, background noise and reverberation on speech perception.

• Series of short transcription tasks - one task due each week during Weeks 2 - 7 (5% x 5) - 25%
• Broad transcription test - to be held in week 8 - 25%
• A two hour written exam at the end of semester - Exam period- 50%

Hurdle requirement: Students must pass the broad transcription test and the written exam in order to pass the subject.

Cox, F. (2012) Australian English: Pronunciation and transcription. New York: Cambridge University Press

Nil

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of this subject students should have:

• well developed problem solving skills,
• an ability to evaluate and synthesise information in a flexible manner
• a capacity to articulate the knowledge gained in both oral and written