Module Catalogue 2024/25

Pre Requisite Comment

Familiarity with basic articulatory phonetics is an essential prerequisite for this course. You should know how to:
(a) describe consonants in terms of voicing, and place and manner of articulation
(b) describe vowels in terms of their height, frontness/backness, and rounding
If you need to revise this subject, refer to your first-year phonetics textbook.

Please ensure that you are completely comfortable with the symbols of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). You are strongly advised to keep a copy of the IPA chart at all times, so that you can look up any phonetic symbols you don’t know. In addition, you are expected to know the IPA symbols for the sounds of English without reference to the chart.

Although there are no additional formal pre-requisites for this course, students will be expected to be able to discuss papers in phonetics, phonology and sociolinguistics.

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

This module explores the phonetic, phonological and sociolinguistic features of accents of English. We'll be looking at the particular sounds which differentiate varieties of English, and how to identify linguistic and social factors which may play a role in shaping this variation. Each week, we'll focus on a different aspect of English accents, including particular sounds, phonological processes, and aspects of accent spoken in particular geographical areas. We'll be using quantitative methods to look at variation in particular accents, as well as more advanced phonetic tools available in linguistics.

Outline Of Syllabus

- Introduction to Accents of English: phonological and socio-historical overview
- Vowels: lexical sets, monophthongs, diphthongs, shifts, splits and mergers
- Consonantal variation (including t-glottalling, th-fronting, h-dropping)
- Language change across the lifespan
- Multiethnolects in the UK
- The North/South divide and boundaries and borders in the UK
- Linguistic discrimination
- Articulatory and acoustic phonetics
- Quantitative methods of analysis and map-making
- How to run a research project

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

- Familiarity with the phonological, phonetic and sociolinguistic literature on accents of English
- Ability to understand the theoretical implications of variation in language
- Familiarity with the quantitative and phonetic methodological issues relating to sociophonetic research

Intended Skill Outcomes

Quantitative research methodology
Phonetic analysis (auditory and acoustic)
Data collection

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The mix of teaching methods is geared towards developing knowledge of key theoretical concepts in asynchronous lecture sessions, discussing aspects of the lecture in the synchronous online sessions, whilst delivering quantitative and analytical skills-based teaching in the workshops, split between asynchronous instruction and synchronous coaching..

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The mid-term assessment will require students to demonstrate their data analysis skills using cutting-edge linguistic software, as well as presenting their results using their quantitative skills. Should they have issues running the specialist software due to campus access restrictions, they can choose to create an academic poster instead, showing research skills and synthesis of content into presentation format.

The write-up of their final project will test students' ability to run their own research project, and show independent analysis and interpretation of their findings. Choice of questions will include standard essay questions, research questions, design-your-own project and audio-visual project options.

The option of conducting to final project in twos allow those more comfortable with group work to hone their teamworking skills and produce a more in-depth piece of analysis, whilst also allowing those who prefer to work alone to do so.

General Notes

N/A