Phonetics


(from the Greek word, phōnē, "sound, voice") is a branch of linguistics that comprises the study of the sounds of human speech, or—in the case of sign languages—the equivalent aspects of sign. It is concerned with the physical properties of speech sounds or signs (phones): their physiological production, transmission and reception.



The field of phonetics is a multiple layered subject of linguistics that focuses on speech. In the case of oral languages there are three basic areas of study:
Articulatory phonetics: the study of the production of speech sounds by the articulators and vocal tract by the speaker. In other words it is concerned with the articulation of speech: The position, shape, and movement of articulators or speech organs, such as the lips, tongue, and vocal folds.
Acoustic phonetics: the study of the physical transmission of speech sounds from the speaker to the listener.
Auditory Phonetics: the study of the reception and perception of speech sounds by the listener, i.e. it is concerned with speech perception: the perception, categorization, and recognition of speech sounds and the role of the auditory system and the brain in the same.



Level: First Year


Course Objectives students will learn:
• How to pronounce English sounds and words
• How to transcribe English sounds and words