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Regulations and Requirements

Graduate Students

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Acoustic Phonetics

Douglas N. Honorof

Fall 2000

honorof@haskins.yale.edu
Lectures: Thursdays 12:45-3:30, 719 Broadway, Room 510 (Phonetics Lab)
Office Hours: Thursdays 3:30-4:30 or by appointment, Anteroom

A survey of the sub-discipline of physics that studies the sound produced by human vocal tracts engaged in speech production. This area of investigation is known as acoustic phonetics and is of interest to speech engineers, forensic phoneticians, psychologists of language, speech pathologists and audiologists. Acoustic phonetics also interests linguists whether they start from the assumption that the phonological objects we perceive are integrally related to relatively invariant aspects of the acoustic signal itself, or whether they favor the view that phonological structure inheres in the spatially and temporally coordinated movements (gestures) of the vocal organs that produce the acoustic output. Students will gain considerable experience applying mathematical techniques to the analysis of speech acoustics and will learn to plot results in a number of informative ways. Although most of the analysis will be done using a computer, no special mathematical, statistical or programming background is expected. On the other hand, basic familiarity with practical phonetics is assumed as is a willingness to learn to use unfamiliar software. The acoustic techniques we master will allow us to evaluate evidence for and against contemporary theories of vowels, consonants and prosody.

Requirements
(1) Readings and exercises
We will read Keith Johnson's Acoustic and Auditory Phonetics in its entirety (Blackwell Publishers, 1997). Photocopied readings and handouts will be distributed as needed. Exercises will be assigned. No exam.

One research paper and oral presentation
Students will be required to conduct one very focused, non-collaborative experiment exploring an issue of interest to themselves and of relevance to the course. Topics are to be cleared with the instructor on September 28. Data collection, acoustic analysis and appropriate statistical treatment follow during the subsequent three weeks. If students need help with any of these steps, they should feel free to make an appointment to meet with the instructor. The results should then be written up in standard scientific format and presented to the instructor on October 26. These papers, which may be as short as 12 typed, double-spaced, single-sided sheets, should include figures and tables where needed. The instructor will respond to, and return, the write-ups on November 9, at which point dates for in-class oral presentation of the project will be assigned. The instructor's response to the paper is meant as a form of guidance for the oral presentations. The amount of time allotted for the oral presentation will depend on the size of the enrollment.

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