Textbook
There is one textbook required for this course:
Kenstowicz, Michael. 1994. Phonology in Generative Grammar. NY: Blackwell.
This book is an up-to-date presentation of current phonological theory. It is currently being used here at UTA in both LING 5301--Phonological Theory I and LING 5304--Phonological Theory II, with the focus of LING 5301 on chapters 1-4 and 6-7. We will also be reading from some other works to supplement the materials included in the textbook.
Course Assumptions, Goals, and Organization
This course presupposes an introductory course on phonological analysis, including the basic concepts of analysis (phone chart, resegmentation, phonetically similar segments, contrast, complementation, free variation, morphophonemics, naturalness). In addition, a basic knowledge of acoustic and articulatory phonetics is assumed. Such information is covered in books like the following:
Burquest, Donald A. 1998. Phonological Analysis: A Functional Approach, 2nd edition. Dallas: SIL.Marlett, Stephen. 1992. An Introduction to Phonological Analysis. SIL and the University of North Dakota.
There are two major emphases of this course:
1) analytical technique and procedurea) throughout the semester there will be an emphasis on techniques of analysis with respect to segmental and suprasegmental units and patternsb) phonetic plausibility will be a major focus in both analysis and evaluation
c) a key question in evaluation will be the nature of evidence and its relevance to phonological analysis
2) theoretical orientation
a) there will be a strong emphasis upon mastery of the generative approach to phonologyb) a number of current theoretical controversies will be considered, including the nature of phonological units, abstractness, rule ordering, cyclic rules, and the organization of phonological units and rule systems; a position will be taken on each of these issues, but with the understanding that the evidence is not incontrovertible
c) autosegmental phonology will be introduced and applied to language data, but the major discussion of controversies will be left for LING 5304
d) the syllable as a phonological unit will be discussed in some detail, but higher levels of metrical structure will be left for LING 5304
Student Responsibility
Each student is expected to complete the daily assignments (see Assignment Sheet) and to come to class prepared to discuss the material. Some of the material is difficult; please make every effort to attend class, and arrange for an appointment to see me if you need to.
There are no examinations in this course. Grading is based upon written work consisting of solutions to phonological problems as assigned; it is expected that each student will do his/her own work, but I am far more interested in education than evaluation (and I hope you are too).