English Phonology Past and Present

LELA30441 English Phonology Past and Present 20 Semester 1 Undergraduate Level 3 Ricardo Bermudez-Otero Unit coordinator 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Last part of a Bachelors ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 10.0 This course unit deals with the prosodic structure of English words: i.e. how the vowels and consonants that make up English words are organized into higher phonological constituents, particularly syllables and rhythmic units called ‘feet’. We will be addressing this topic from both a synchronic and a diachronic perspective, looking first at the situation in present-day English, and then exploring its historical background. In addition, the course unit has another equally important aim: to help you to understand how linguistic theories work, and how linguists go about building and testing those theories.  This course unit deals with the prosodic structure of English words: i.e. how the segments that make up English words are organized into higher phonological constituents, particularly syllables and feet. We will be addressing this topic from both a synchronic and a diachronic perspective, looking first at the situation in present-day English, and then exploring its historical background.There are several reasons for studying the prosodic organization of English words:<ul> <li> Most importantly, it is an interesting topic in its own right. As we explore it, we will encounter many subtle but fascinating facts, whose explanation is not immediately obvious. For example, many speakers of American English pronounce /t/ as the flap [¿] in càpitalístic, but not in mìlitarístic. For the same speakers, nasal place assimilation is obligatory in có[¿¿]ga, but not in the place name Monò[n¿]ahéla. As the course unfolds, we will see that all these intriguing facts are connected with each other.</li></ul><ul> <li> English syllabification and stress assignment has played a crucial role in the development of modern phonological theory. The topic has attracted the attention of the best brains in the field and has furnished evidence for key theoretical innovations. In consequence, English prosody provides a privileged entry into the realm of advanced phonological argumentation.</li></ul><ul> <li> The way in which segments, syllables, and feet interact in present-day English is complicated, but phenomena that may look arbitrary from a purely synchronic perspective start to make better sense when you consider them as part of an unfolding pattern of historical development. In this way, the prosody of English words provides an excellent opportunity to explore ideas about the relationship between synchronic and diachronic explanation in linguistics.</li></ul>Besides analysing the prosodic structure of English words, for the reasons given above, the course unit has another equally important aim: to help you to understand how linguistic theories work, and how linguists go about building and testing those theories. You will develop your appreciation of linguistic theory in many ways:<ul> <li> by experiencing the joy of discovering the hidden order behind apparently messy data;</li></ul><ul> <li> by experiencing theory development both as a rational enterprise, requiring intellectual rigour, and as a creative activity, calling for imagination and flair.</li></ul>Thus, the knowledge and skills that you will have acquired by the end of the course should prove helpful in any area of intellectual inquiry that involves the building of theoretical models.  The principal aims of the course unit are as follows:<ul> <li> to provide students with an advanced critical understanding of the main theories of syllabification in present-day English;</li> <li> to introduce students to the generative analysis of present-day English stress;</li> <li> to explore the way in which synchronic and diachronic explanation interact in phonology;</li> <li> to survey a wide range of empirical evidence (segmental processes, psycholinguistic experiments, versification patterns, etc) bearing on the prosodic structure of English words;</li> <li> to equip students with advanced skills in theory evaluation and testing (distinguishing between empirical and conceptual arguments, detecting ad hoc hypotheses, appraising empirical content, etc).</li></ul> By the end of this course students will be able to:<ul> <li> understand the precise conditions for the application of a range of phonological processes in present-day English;</li> <li> understand and critically assess the main theories of syllabification in present-day English words;</li> <li> explain the location of primary and secondary stress in present-day English words;</li> <li> understand the evolution  of syllabification and stress assignment in the history of English</li></ul> By the end of this course students will be able to:<ul> <li> distinguish between conceptual and empirical arguments in linguistics;</li> <li> assess the strengths of linguistic theories according to criteria such as restrictiveness, simplicity, and learnability;</li> <li> detect ad hoc assumptions in linguistic arguments.</li></ul> By the end of this course students will be able to:<ul> <li> apply theories of syllable and foot structure to the analysis of phonological processes;</li> <li> use various types of empirical evidence to assess  theories of prosodic structure;</li> <li> incorporate synchronic and diachronic insights into phonological explanations.</li></ul> By the end of this course students will be better able to:<ul> <li> assess theoretical models on conceptual and empirical grounds;</li> <li> understand the sources of rational disagreement in debates involving competing (scientific) models;</li> <li> appreciate the interaction between creativity, logic, and evidence in the development and testing of (scientific) theories and models;</li> <li> design a focused piece of research bearing on a larger theoretical debate;</li> <li> produce a succint, coherent, and persuasive synthesis of a complex technical argument;</li> <li> write an essay in the appropriate style and format.</li></ul> Other The course enhances skills in the analysis of complex patterns, in the evaluation of explanatory models, and in formal argumentation and writing. It also boosts the student's independence, perseverance, and confidence to trust his or her own intelligence. 0 Other 100% <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse;width:130pt" width="172"> <tbody> <tr height="100" style="height:75.0pt"> <td class="xl66" height="100" style="height:75.0pt;width:65pt" width="86"> Essay</td> <td align="right" class="xl68" style="border-left:none;width:65pt" width="86"> 100%</td> </tr> </tbody></table>  <ul> <li> Comments made during class discussion regarding the relevance and coherence of student responses or participation in discussion. (In other words, you should be able to judge from the discussion which ideas are better or worse.) </li> <li> Global feedback (delivered orally in class) on a non-assessed mid-term practical assignment. </li> <li> Written comments on the assessed essay, plus face-to-face discussion if desired (on the understanding that this deanonymizes the marking).</li></ul> LELA20011 Phonology Pre-Requisite Compulsory BA(Hons) English Language BA (Hons) English Language Third Year Optional BA(Hons) Linguistics BA (Hons) Linguistics Third Year Optional Y There is no textbook for this course. Useful reference works for several of its units include:Giegerich, Heinz J. (1992). English phonology: an introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Jensen, John T. (1993). English phonology. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Lectures 33 0 167