Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics
The MPhil in English and Applied Linguistics (2011/12)
English Phonology and Orthography, with practical phonetics
Phonology is concerned with the principles that govern sound structure in language. Phonologists attempt to answer questions such as 'Why can words start in a consonant in all languages of the world, while not all languages accept words that end in a consonant?' Such questions relate to the abstract representation of sound, rather than the physical properties of speech (cf. phonetics).
This course provides a basic introduction to a number of key issues in English phonology. We will consider the role of these issues in the development of phonological theory, and discuss the contributions of some major theoretical frameworks. Particular attention will be paid to prosodic representations, the relationship between phonetic, phonological and morpho-phonological levels of representation, the relationship of citation forms to connected speech, and the relationship between different dialects. The discussion will be firmly placed in the context of practical issues in listening comprehension and teaching pronunciation, and of themes arising in other courses, in particular in language processing, language acquisition, discourse analysis and syntax.
Reading for this course will include:
- Brown, G. 1990. Listening to Spoken English. London, New York: Longman.
- Carney, E. 1995. A Survey of English Spelling. London: Routledge.
- Davenport, M. and Hannahs, S. J. 1998. Introducing phonetics and phonology. London: Arnold.
- Giegerich, H.J. 1992. English Phonology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Gussenhoven, C. and Jacobs, H. 1998. Understanding Phonology. London: Arnold.
- Gussenhoven, C. 2004. The phonology of tone and intonation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Ladd, D. 1996. Intonational phonology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Peters, M.L. 1985. Spellings Caught and Taught. London: Routledge.
- Roach, P. 2000. English Phonetics and Phonology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Yavas, M.S. 2005. Applied English Phonology. Oxford: Blackwell.
