ENG-112: Intro to Linguistics

• Course Title: Phonetics & Phonology
• Course Code: ENG-112
• Credit Hours: 03

Prior Knowledge Test

• Recall linguistic terms learned in the prior semester.

What is Linguistics? Prescriptivism and Descriptivism

• Language purists since antiquitiy want grammarians to prescribe correct langauge usage for educated speakers/writers
• Prescriptive language scholars form rules from Latin, Greek, literary canon, or personal preference.
• Prescriptivists face criticism for not considering language change/stylistic variation.
• Linguistics aims to describe language objectively and systematically.
• Descriptive linguists analyze naturally used language in speech communities.

Parole vs. Langue & Performance vs. Competence

• French term parole (speech) relates to actual language use in concrete utterances
• Langue (language) refers to a speech community's shared knowledge of language as a system

Performance and Competence by Noam Chomsky

• American linguist Noam Chomsky used "performance" and "competence" for largely same ideas.
• Chomsky emphasized individual language nature
• Performance refers to individual speaker's language use.
• Competence relates to individual speaker's language knowledge.
• Chomsky replaced terms with E(xternalised)-language and I(nternalised)-language, but those are rarely used.

Language Structure

• Language structure is based on phonetics, morphology, syntax, and pragmatics
• Pragmatics is language in context
• Semantics is the study of meaning in language
• Syntax is sentence structure
• Morphology is the study of words
• Phonology of the sounds

Four Core Areas of Linguistics

• The core areas sometimes called micro linguistics are described at dour levels
• Phonetics and phonology concern speech sounds/sound system.
• Morphology studies the structure of words
• Syntax explains sentence patterns, grammar
• Lexicology and semantics describes vocabulary/lexicon and aspects of meaning.

Other Branches of Linguistics

• Dialectology = linguistics and geography, studies regional language variation.
• Sociolinguistics = links to sociology, studies language variation by age, sex, and social class.
• Ethnolinguistics = overlaps anthropology, studies language variation and role in ethnic groups.
• Discourse analysis, text linguistics, and stylistics, related branches dealing with language variation.
• Unlike above Ethno/Socio/Dialect, Discourse analysis do not study communities.

Linguistics That Are Not Based On Ethnic/Socio/Dialect

• Contrastive linguistics = similarities/differences between modern languages
• Psycholinguistics = overlaps psychology, explores mental aspects of language, such as language learning.
• Neurolinguistics = overlaps medical science, investigates language/nervous system connection.
• Computational linguistics = overlaps artificial intelligence, machine translation.
• Applied linguistics = practical application of linguistic findings.
• Historical or diachronic linguistics = connects language with history.
• Diachronic links comparative linguists on language across time and historical study

Twin Terms: Phonetics and Phonology, Defining Features

• Linguistics includes phonetics/phonology focused on pronunciation and sound
• Both describe and analyze speech from different angles.
• Linguistics is systematic empirical study.
• It addresses how individuals comprehend, gain proficiency, and use language in both spoken and written forms.

Phonetics

• Phonetics studies human speech sounds.
• Phonetics segments concrete utterances into individual speech sounds.
• Phonetics studies the production, properties, and perception of human speech sounds.
• Study speech sounds by how they're produced, transmitted, and received

Branches of Phonetics: Categorization

• Articulatory phonetics = sound production
• Acoustic phonetics = sound transmission
• Auditory phonetics = sound reception

Articulatory Phonetics

• Articulatory phonetics describes the use of speech organs in vocal tract to produce speech sounds.
• It analyzes which organs and muscles speakers use to produce speech or how humans produce speech.

Air Stream Mechanism

• Living people have breath, dead people don't
• If there is no air, there is no speech.
• Either incoming air, or outgoing air
• Pulmonic egressive or Pulmonic ingressive

Acoustic Phonetics

• Acoustic phonetics studies acoustic speech characteristics.
• Analyzes the speech in terms of frequency, intensity, and duration

Auditory Phonetics

• Auditory phonetics concentrates on pitch loudness, speed of sound reception
• Pitch = sound High and Low
• Loudness = how loud/soft the sound
• Speech tempo = how fast or slow we receive

Software Available

• Praat is freeware for speech analysis that you can find online

Phonology

• Phonology studies speakers' language sound system.
• Phonology studies major sounds and their organization in a language
• Phonology studies speech sounds and how speech sounds form patters in a language

Concerns of Phonology

• The sounds of a language
• Rules for combining sounds
• Variations in pronunciation

Areas of Study

• Segmental phonology deals with speech vs speech segments of langauge
• Suprasegmental phonology studies suprasegmental for pronunciation.

Segmental vs Suprasegmental Phonology

• Segmental = individual units for function
• Suprasegmental = features that extend over different pitches/sections

Phonology vs Phonetics in The Speech Chain

• Speakers Brain = Phonology
• Speakers Mouth = Articulatory Phonetics
• Sound Transmission Through Air = Acoustic Phonetics
• Listeners Ear = Auditory Phonetics
• Listeners Brain = Phonology

Native Speakers

• A standard variety has fixed grammar/vocabulary.
• Pronunciation varies per region, social group, or ethnicity.
• Accent refers to pronouncing a variety.
• A standard variety can be spoken in different accents.

Accent and Dialect

• Received Pronunciation and is recommended for foreign learners in British English. Abbreviated RP
• Accent deals with pronunciation differences only.
• Dialect has differences in pronunciation, morphology, syntax, and grammar
• Dialect variety is different not only in pronunciation but vocabulary, grammar, and word order

Phonemes

• The smallest unit in speech distingusing one word from another
• /hɛl/ vs /hɔːl/

Minimal Pairs

• To establish phonemes in sound system you must find pairs of words that differ in meaning, and sound
• Two sounds are contrasting or distinct (cab vs cap) or (seal vs zeal)

Consonants and Vowels

• Its difficult to describe obstructions such as consonants
• Unlike vowels which dont obstruct

Voiced vs Voiceless

• Voiced sounds vibrate (e.g., b).
• Voiceless sounds do not vibrate (e.g., p).

Phonetic Transcription

• Writing down spoken language as accurately as possible e.g. □ə ˈkʌpl ɒv ˈbrʌʃɪz

Aspiration

• Aspirations of breath/sound from sudden air release
• Aspiration is indicated by [ h ]

Classroom Protocol:

• Maintain perfornance, attend class, and arrive on time
• Mobile must be off and out of sight
• No disrespectful language
• Maintain focus, dont leave during classmates presentation

Instructional Methodology:

• Lectures
• Group Work
• Seminars
• Role Plays
• Public Speaking

Class Grades

• Assignments and Quizzes = 35%
• Midterms and Finals = 65%