Applied Phonetics - Period 2

This course will introduce you to the study of phonetics. Whereas phonetics is a branch of linguistics that studies the sounds of human speech, as well as the equivalent aspects of signs in sign language, the main focus of this course will be on the acoustic characteristics and physical aspects of speech production and perception. Knowledge about the mechanism involved in speech production and perception will help to better understand and appreciate speech and its communicative function. It also helps to better understand the mechanisms and potential problems in language and speech development including second language acquisition. The main goal of the course is provide students with a comprehensive overview of the main fundamental topics in phonetics including the physics of speech sounds, their articulatory and acoustic descriptions, and their perception. Theoretical phonetic issues will be linked with hands-on experience in acoustic analysis using PRAAT. Through lectures, assignments and hands-on sessions students will also get acquainted with possible applications of different phonetic theories and concepts in different areas of language and communication, including first and second language acquisition and teaching.

Contact hours listed under a course description may vary due to the combination of lecture-based and independent work required for each course therefore, CEA's recommended credits are based on the ECTS credits assigned by VU Amsterdam. 1 ECTS equals 28 contact hours assigned by VU Amsterdam.