Useful Links

Course Description

In this course, students will learn to recognize, produce, describe, transcribe, and analyze speech sounds from languages all over the world. We will explore the basic physics behind the way we produce speech sounds, the acoustic properties of speech as a sound wave, and how these combine to create common patterns across languages. Throughout the course, students will learn the International Phonetic Alphabet (a standardized system for phonetic transcription) and mathematical and computer techniques for rigorous phonetic analysis. Format: lecture/discussion. Requirements: participation in discussions, weekly homework regular lab assignments, frequent quizzes, a midterm exam, and a final project. No prerequisites.

Readings

J.C. Catford. 2002. A practical introduction to phonetics. 2nd ed. Oxford University Press. ISBN #0199246351. [required]

Peter Ladefoged. 2005. Vowels and consonants. 2nd ed. Blackwell. ISBN #1405124598. [required]

You will also need to download computer software for recording and doing phonetic analysis. In class, we will be using Audacity http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/ and Praat http://www.fon.hum.uva.nl/praat/, both of which are available for Windows, Mac, and Unix/Linux operating systems. However, if you are more comfortable with other suitable software programs with equivalent functionality, you may use them instead.

Grading

Your grade for the course is calculated as a weighted combination of your class participation (5%), lab average (25%), quiz average (30%), midterm exam score (25%), and final project (write-up and presentation) (15%).

Labs

Links to online PDF versions of lab assignments: [Lab #1] [Lab #2] [Lab #3] [Lab #4] [Lab #5] [Lab #6]

Note the change from the published course description: there is no weekly homework; instead, there are six labs assignments, roughly two weeks apart. Lab assignments are available for download from the course website, so missing lecture is not an excuse for skipping a lab. Late lab write-ups will not be accepted. To compensate for this strict policy, your lowest lab grade is dropped when computing your grade for the course. Because the labs can be complex and involved, you are strongly encouraged to work together in lab groups, but in accordance with the Williams College Honor Code, every member of the group must contribute roughly equally to the overall product.

Your lab write-ups should be either neatly written or (preferably) typed in a reasonable font with reasonable spacing and margins for writing comments (e.g., 10–12pt font, double-spaced prose, 1–1.5" margins, using only one side of the page). Please, do not submit spiral-bound paper with ragged edges! Staple (rather than paper clip or fold) multiple pages together.

Quizzes and Midterm Exam

There are about seven quizzes (every week or two) and one midterm exam (just before spring recess). The quizzes cover recently-discussed material and will be announced at least one lecture in advance. They are fairly short, typically taking about 10–15 minutes to complete. The quizzes are closed-book, closed-notes. As with labs, your lowest quiz grade is dropped when computing your grade for the course. The midterm covers material from the first half of the course. It is an in-class exam, designed to take the full class time to complete. The midterm is open-book, open-notes.

In accordance with the Honor Code, you must do your own work on the quizzes and the midterm without the help of any other student. Suspected violations of the Honor Code will be pursued to the full extent of College policy.

Final Project

The final project is a phonetic study of a language other than English. More details about the requirements for the write-up and presentation will be given as the course progresses.

Tentative Schedule

See syllabus hardcopy for detailed schedule.