Last modified: 05 Aug 2021 13:04
This course aims to introduce students to a range of phonological approaches, beginning with the classical phonemicist approach, which students have encountered in pre-honours courses, and moving on to consider topics including the role of syllables and metre and the development of models in generative phonology including differences between rule-based phonologies and constraint-based theories.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 4 |
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| Term | First Term | Credit Points | 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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We know that phonology focuses on the patterns and structure in the use of sounds in language, but how does this work with a real language such as English? How justified are we in talking about English as a single language? Should we refer to Englishes? And if so, should we be really be discussing 'phonologies'?
This course considers several key phonological phenomena found in varieties of English including a focus on segments (phonemes) as we have done in earlier courses, but also looking at suprasegmental aspects such as syllabic structure and the role of stress and metrical feet. We will also look more closely at realisational processes: we've previously discussed allophones but we will now consider other approaches to working with the sort of patterns that can be observed in a speaker's phonetic output.
Throughout the course we will consider issues that arise when we deal with variation between the varieties of a language, and also general issues in theoretical phonology. Focusing on a set of fairly familiar accents of English from Scotland, England, North America and the Southern Hemisphere, we will investigate characteristics of these particular accents, and also a number of key concepts from phonological theory, including the role of rule ordering in some models and other approaches to modelling phonological processes, such as constraint ranking.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Students will receive written feedback on their seminar performance at the end of the course. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
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| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 40 | |
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| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Students will receive written feedback on this data analysis assignment, as well as oral feedback from the course tutor if requested. |
Word Count | 1000 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
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| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 50 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Students will receive written feedback on this essay, as well as oral feedback from the course tutor if requested. |
Word Count | 2000 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
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There are no assessments for this course.
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Understand | Students will be able to discuss the theoretical questions raised by any attempt to describe the phonologies of a range of accents of English. |
| Conceptual | Apply | Students will be able to apply key ideas from phonological theory in order to analyse notable features of the phonology of English. |
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Students will be able to evaluate the implications of using data from a range of English accents for general phonological theory. |
| Reflection | Evaluate | Students will be able to engage with current research questions in English phonology (and in cross-linguistic phonology more generally). |
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