Syllabus

CGSC 433 Acoustic Phonetics Spring 2012

Course information
Instructor

TA

Jeff Heinz
Angeliki Athanasopoulou
heinz@udel.edu
angeliki@udel.edu
302-831-2924
42 E. Delaware, room 102 46 E. Delaware, 3rd floor
Office Hours
TW 10-11am
and by appointment

Course
CogSci 433
Acoustic Phonetics
TThu 12:30-1:45pm
Kirkbride Hall, room 005

Office Hours
W 1-2pm
Th 2-3pm

There is a class website with material posted to it. This site is

http://udel.edu/~ heinz/classes/2012/4-633/

Learning Goals
Learning Goals for CGSC 433
CGSC 433 provides an introduction to the acoustic study of speech. We will examine various
aspects of speech production and perception, concentrating on the source-filter model of
speech production and the relation between the physical signal and the mental representation
of speech. As this is a senior level undergraduate course, emphasis is also placed on the
ability to learn independently. Reading the textbook BEFORE the lecture is required and
assignments often go beyond the examples in the textbook.
By the end of this course, students will be able to . . .
1. Communicate, clearly and effectively, key concepts and theories in acoustic and auditory phonetics both orally and in writing. (Programmatic Goal 1; Gen Ed Goal
1).
2. Apply the scientific method of theory testing and analysis to speech data (Programmatic Goal 2; Gen Ed Goal 2)
3. Learn and think independently and collaboratively. (Gen Ed Goal 3)

CGSC433 Syllabus Spring 2012

J. Heinz

4. Integrate multiple methodological or disciplinary perspectives applied to specific problems in speech analysis (Programmatic Goal 3; Gen Ed Goal 5)
5. Perform acoustic analysis of typical and atypical speech (from speakers of different
languages) using contemporary tools (Gen Ed Goals 1,2,10)

Programmatic Learning Goals for the B.S. In Cognitive Science

By the end of the Cognitive Science Major, students will. . .
1. Communicate scientific ideas and methods (i.e., discuss and solve scientific problems
and/or provide data or arguments in support of a scientific hypothesis) clearly and
effectively, both orally and in writing. (Gen Ed Goal 1)
2. Critically assess scientific research (primary source articles and/or lab reports), methods, and/or problem solving related to cognitive science, linguistics, and speech pathology. (Gen Ed Goal 2)
3. Synthesize multiple methodological or disciplinary research perspectives to analyze a
scientific problem and make improvements that advance the issue, debate, or research.

Prerequisite Knowledge
1. Articulatory phonetics (how speech sounds are produced)
2. Phonetic Transcription
3. The International Phonetic Alphabet (not just English sounds)
4. Working knowledge of how to use Praat to record speech, view spectrograms, and take
basic measurements
5. Basic math and algebra skills
Items 1-4 should be familiar from 253. Item 5 should be familiar from pre-college math
classes.

Text
Required
Keith Johnson. Acoustic and Auditory Phonetics. Blackwell, Cambridge, MA, third
edition, 2012.

CGSC433 Syllabus Spring 2012

J. Heinz

Other useful texts

Allard Jongman and Henning Reetz. Phonetics: Transcription, Production, Acoustics,
and Perception. Wiley-Blackwell, 2009.
Elizabeth Hume and Keith Johnson, The Role of Speech Perception in Phonology. San
Diego: Academic Press, 2001.
Patricia Kruth and Henry Stobart (editors), Sound. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 2000.
Peter Ladefoged and Ian Maddieson, The Sounds of the Worlds Languages. Cambridge
MA: Blackwell, 1996.
Peter Ladefoged. Elements of Acoustic Phonetics. Chicago: University of Chicago
Press.
Kenneth Stevens. Acoustic Phonetics. Cambridge MA: MIT Press, 1998.

Grading
4 Labs

20%

4 Homeworks

20%

Participation

5%

2 Tests

30%

Final Project

25%

Labs There will be four lab assignments. You are required to analyze some data and turn
in a lab report. These are to be done in groups of two.
Homework There will be four HW assignments (mainly from the text).
Participation Participation in class is expected.
Tests There will be two in-class tests (each 15% of grade).
Final Project In groups of 2, you will conduct research on a topic relating to the course.
It is graded in 3 parts, a proposal (5% of grade), a presentation (10% of grade), and
the final report (10% of grade).
There is no final exam in this course.

CGSC433 Syllabus Spring 2012

J. Heinz

Policies
It is the official policy of the University of Delaware that all acts or attempted acts
of alleged student academic dishonesty be reported to the Office of Judicial Affairs.
At the faculty members discretion and with the concurrence of the student or students involved, some cases, though reported to the Office of Judicial Affairs, may be
resolved within the confines of the course. All others will be adjudicated within the
Undergraduate Student Judicial System.
http://www.udel.edu/stuguide/10-11/code.html#honesty
http://www.udel.edu/provost/fachb/III-1-d-dishonesty.html
NO LATE WORK ACCEPTED. The highest grade for an assignment turned in late
is 0%. If you notify me in advance with very good reasons, it is possible I may relax
this on a case by case basis.
Please submit work as TYPED hard copies. (Math work can be handwritten).
No cell phones in class (set to vibrate or turn off).
Traditional calculators may be used during exams. Calculators on cell phones or computers are prohibited because internet access is prohibited during exams and banning
phones or computers from exams makes it easier for me to enforce.