| CODE | LIN2290 | |||||||||
| TITLE | Suprasegmental Phonology | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 2 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Institute of Linguistics and Language Technology | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit examines phenomena normally referred to by linguists as “suprasegmental” or "prosodic". These include features of loudness, duration and pitch manifested linguistically as stress, rhythm, tone and intonation. The systematic and predictable association of specific forms with particular functions, such as for example the signalling of specific meanings through the use of intonation, is as much part of the grammar of a language which needs to be described as that of other, maybe more “central”, traits of language. The first part of the study-unit examines the nature of the various suprasegmentals in an attempt at illustrating the complexity of the relationships existing amongst these features. Moreover, it establishes a framework and associated terminology for their description. The second part of the study-unit examines differences in the ways that stress, rhythm, tone and intonation are manifested across different languages. The topic of intonation will be dealt with in slightly more detail than the other topics. An attempt will be made to relate intonational forms used intentionally to change meaning to the different functions conveyed. Students will be provided with opportunities to acquire some practical experience in listening for, and carrying out basic analysis of different intonational forms in so far as these correlate with different functions of intonation. Throughout the study-unit examples from different languages will be used to illustrate. Examples for analysis may also be taken from different languages or language varieties. The study-unit will be delivered online although a weekly meeting slot for students registered on the study-unit will be maintained, and, circumstances permitting, a number of face-to-face sessions may also be organised. Lecture-type resources posted online will take the place of face-to-face lectures. These will be supplemented with additional resources such as sound files containing examples of the phenomena being studied, links to supplementary reading material, etc. Tutorials will be replaced by online discussions or Fora based on questions to the different topics which will be opened at regular intervals. Students’ participation in these fora is mandatory since such participation should be considered as equivalent to the completion of tutorial tasks and participation in tutorials. Study-unit Aims: The primary aim of this study-unit is to provide a framework for the description of suprasegmentals together with the terminology and notation for carrying out basic analysis of phenomena classed as suprasegmental or prosodic. Particular attention will be given to the phenomena of stress, rhythm and intonation. A secondary aim is to examine the complex relationship of the various suprasegmentals to each other and to the creation of meaning. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - determine the difference between the non-linguistic and paralinguistic function of loudness, duration and pitch from its suprasegmental or prosodic function; - understand what contribution to meaning is brought about by loudness, duration and pitch when these function prosodically as stress, rhythm, tone and intonation at both the lexical and sentence levels; - distinguish between the three different systems, tonality, tonicity and tone, involved in intonation, and explain what meaning differences are brought about as a result of changes in any one, or a combination, of these three systems; - use simple terminology to describe the intonation of short stretches of speech. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - listen to and transcribe the intonation of short stretches of speech using simple notation introduced during the course of the study-unit; - correlate differences in form which they have transcribed, to specific differences in meaning. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Couper-Kuhlen, E. (1986). An introduction to English prosody. London: Edward Arnold. - Cruttenden, A. (1997). Intonation (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Although the bibliography below includes references to a number of texts which served to introduce important new developments in this field, you will, in the main, not be expected to tackle such sources directly, but will instead be assigned readings which summarize the most important findings outlined in the source texts. Cruttenden (1997) and Couper-Kuhlen (1984), both listed above, will be particularly useful for this purpose. - Abercrombie, D. (1967). Elements of general phonetics. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. - Bolinger, D. L. (1972). Intonation: selected readings. Harmondsworth: Penguin. - Gussenhoven, C. (2004). The phonology of tone and intonation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. - Halliday, M. A. K. (1967). Intonation and grammar in British English. The Hague: Mouton. - Ladd, D. R. (2008). Intonational phonology (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. - Ladefoged, P. (2001). Vowels and consonants: an introduction to the sounds of languages. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Ltd. - Lehiste, I. (1970). Suprasegmentals. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. - O’Connor, J. and Arnold, G. (1973). Intonation of colloquial English (2nd ed.). London: Longman. - Wells, J. C. (2006). English intonation: an introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. A reading pack containing specific topic-by-topic readings will also be made available in the course of the study-unit. |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Pre-requisite Study-unit: LIN1090 or LIN1190 or equivalent | |||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Online Lecture | |||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Alexandra Vella |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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