This unit explores the fundamental properties of human language, with examples from languages spoken in every part of the world. We look at the sounds of human language: how the speech organs make them, and how different they can be across languages. We gain a detailed understanding of English consonants and vowels, and we learn how to transcribe them phonetically. We investigate the ways in which sounds can convey meanings, through the formation of words and sentences in English and many other languages. We see how and why English is different from Japanese, Swahili, German, or even Irish.
Classes
2x1hr lectures/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week
Assessment
5x250wd short assignments (40%), 1x1hr mid-term exam (20%), 1x2hr final exam (40%)
Semester 1
05 Mar 2018