General Description

This course will introduce articulatory phonetics and so describe all the stages in the production of speech. It will introduce students to the International Phonetic Alphabet, and include practice in the recognition and transcription of a wide range of sounds. The course will also cover the transcription of American English. The course will also introduce the concept of speech organization (phonology) and describe some of the approaches to phonological description. Finally, the course will provide description of a range of atypical sounds encountered in the clinic.

Specific Course Objectives

To provide the most current information on speech production, concentrating on anatomical and physiological aspects, aerodynamic aspects, phonation, and articulation.
To introduce the linguistic correlates of speech production: phonological organization.
To provide a detailed account of the phonetics and phonology of American English, and a brief introduction to other regional ands social varieties of English.
To introduce phonetic transcription of normal and disordered speech, and demonstrate its use in assessment and the planning of intervention in the clinic.

Learner Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

Deomstrate the importance of the study of speech production and organization for Speech-Language Pathologists.
Discuss the nature of speech production.
Discuss the concept of speech organization, and some of the constructs used to characterize phonology.
Demonstrate an awareness of the main aspects of the phonology and phonetics of American English.
Demonstrate an appreciation of the nature of atypical phonetics in disordered speech.
Transcribe into the International Phonetic Alphabet both nonsense words and English words and phrases.

Course requirements:

Students must complete assigned readings by the deadlines given, and be prepared to discuss the readings in class.

Perform satisfactorily on 2 mid-term exams and one final exam, and four transcription tests.

Perform satisfactorily in oral production exercises in class.

Complete assigned homework.

Attend classes, take part in class discussion.

Class Structure

Classes will be of two types: lectures, where the basic information of the course is imparted, and practical sessions, where the oral production and transcription of a range of both English and non-English sounds will be undertaken, and the current class topics discussed. Some classes will consist of different amounts of time assigned to both these activities.

Course Text

Ball, M.J. and Müller, N., 2005, Phonetics for Communication Disorders. Erlbaum.

Grading

The final grade will be based on the total number of points accumulated and expressed as a percentage (%) of the total points possible during the semester. Points will be deducted for all assignments that are turned in late unless the student presents a written excuse that is acceptable to the instructor (10% deduction for one day late, 25% for one week late, 50% for two weeks late; no assignments can be turned in more than two weeks after the due date).

Grading Scale:

100-90	89-80	79-70	69-60	59 and below
A	B	C	D	F

Assessment Weighting:

Mid-term 1: 10%

Mid-term 2: 20%

Final exam: 30%

Transcription tests: (4x5%): 20%

Homework assignments: (1x20%): 20%

Up to 5% extra points are awarded to students to reflect active, well-prepared participation in class and good attendance.

Remediation

If a student does not make sufficient progress towards the learner outcomes for this course (as determined by course requirements and grading), an opportunity for remediation will be provided. Remediation may include, among other activities, additional readings, written or oral reflections on selected topics, or additional assignments. The measures are taken at the discretion of the instructor.

Class Attendance:

1. Regular class attendance is required.

2. In case of absences from class, it is the student's responsibility to obtain any materials and information missed.

3. Students are responsible for making up all assignments missed.

Course Evaluation

Students will have the opportunity to evaluate the course by completing the student evaluation of instruction administered by the university towards the end of the semester. However, comments on the course are welcome any time, and students are invited to come and see Dr Ball during his office hours, or contact him by e-mail whenever they wish to discuss any aspects of the course.

Emergency Evacuation Procedures

A map of this floor is posted near the elevator marking the evacuation route and the Designated Rescue Area. This is an area where emergency service personnel will go first to look for individuals who need assistance in exiting the building. Students who may need assistance should identify themselves to the teaching faculty.

Laptop and Cell-Phone Policy

1. Laptops should be closed, and not used during class, unless an exemption is obtained in the case of special needs.

2. Cell Phones are to be OFF during class; not on silent vibrate mode. No texting in class!

3. Students are NOT allowed to leave class to make or receive cell phones calls or text messages.

4. If you expect an urgent message (e. g. to do with family illness etc), tell the instructor at the beginning of class.

5. After one warning, students who breach this policy will be asked to leave the classroom for that meeting.

Academic Honesty

All assignments and homeworks are to be an individual’s work, unless an instructor specifies that a piece of work (for example a larger project) should be a collaboration between two or more students.

Please note the following University Regulations:

Rules and Regulations

V. Academic Honesty

A. Introduction

An essential rule in every class of the University is that all work for which a student will

receive a grade or credit be entirely his or her own or be properly documented to

indicate sources. When a student does not follow this rule, s/he is dishonest and s/he

defeats the purpose of the course and undermines the goals of the University.

Cheating in any form therefore can not be tolerated; and the responsibility rests with

the student to know the acceptable methods and techniques for proper documentation

of sources and to avoid cheating and/or plagiarism in all work submitted for credit,

whether prepared in or out of class.

B. Definitions of Cheating and Plagiarism

1. Cheating, in the context of academic matters, is the term broadly used to

describe all acts of dishonesty committed in the taking of tests or examinations

and in the preparation of assignments. Cheating includes but is not limited to

such practices as gaining help from another person or using crib notes when

taking a test, relying on a calculator or other aids if such aids have been

forbidden, and preparing an assignment in consultation with another person

when the instructor expects the work to be done independently. In other words,

cheating occurs when a student makes use of any unauthorized aids or

materials. Furthermore, any student who provides unauthorized assistance in

academic work is also guilty of cheating.

2. Plagiarism is a specific type of cheating. It occurs when a student passes off as

his or her own the ideas or words of another person, when s/he presents as a

new and original idea or product anything which in fact is derived from an existing

work, or when s/he makes use of any work or production already created by

someone else without giving credit to the source. In short, plagiarism is the use

of unacknowledged materials in the preparation of assignments. Thus, the

student must take care to avoid plagiarism in research or term papers, art

projects, architectural designs, musical compositions, science reports, laboratory

experiments, and the like.

C. Penalties

The University considers both cheating and plagiarism serious offenses. The

minimum penalty for a student guilty of either dishonest act is a grade of "zero" for the

assignment in question. The maximum penalty is dismissal from the University.