27928 - Laboratory (1) (LM) (LING)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the Laboratory the students are able to independently conduct an experiment in the field of experimental linguistics, in its different phases. He can organize and gather complex information in a consistent form and is able to apply critical analysis methodologies on linguistic phenomena.

Course contents

The Laboratory of Experimental Linguistics aims to initiate the students to design and conduct by themselves the different phases of an experiment in the field of Experimental Phonetics and Phonology Laboratory. We will start talking about the empirical research methods in linguistics from the formulation of hypotheses to the basic principles that guide the experimental design. Then we will describe the basic techniques of contemporary acoustic and articulatory analyses. The goal is to allow the students to actively follow a pilot experiment which is part of an interdisciplinary research project in the field of sociophonetics . The goal of such research project is to investigate the persistence of local phonetic and phonological features in the Italian and in the dialect spoken by of two generations of Italo-Australian bilinguals, migrated to Australia as adults or in their early childhood, from Veneto and Calabria.

During the course we will introduce the basics of recording, sampling and digitization of the audio speech signal, of its oscillographic and spectrographic analysis. Moreover, we will describe some methods and tools currently used in articulatory analysis.

Students will participate in laboratory exercises, focused both on the analysis of the experiment just mentioned, and on the acoustic segmentation and coding of few voice samples recorded as part of the experiment.

Summarizing, students will be able to follow the different phases of a study in experimental linguistics: from the discussion of the working hypotheses, to the design of the experiment, data collection, acoustics analysis and discussion of the results obtained.

Readings/Bibliography

The bibliography has to be updated

A textbook chosen between:

• P. Ladefoged, Phonetic Data Analysis. An Introduction to Fieldwork and Instrumental Techniques , Oxford, Blackwell Publishing, 2003;

  or:

• F Albano Leoni e P. Maturi, Manuale di fonetica, Roma, Carocci (capp.1-2). The book includes a CD-ROM with audio files which allow the student to practice listeninig and phonetic trascription of word and sentences in Italian, English, French and German.

Teaching methods

Practical computer exercises alternate with lectures. Together, they aim to illustrate the basic techniques, problems and methods of the experimental phonetics analysis, both at the articulatory and at the acoustic level. Supplementary materials of lectures and exercises will be made available on-line during the course (Student Guide: Experimental linguistics laboratory: "Teaching Material").

Assessment methods

Attendance and participation in the activities of the course count as a title of evaluation for the purposes of the final assessment, which will consist in an oral exam, including a practical test of acoustic analysis.

The colloquium will focus on some of the topics of experimental phonetics gradually introduced in the different phases of the pilot experiment in which the student has taken part: discussion of the working hypotheses and experimental design; principles of recording and sampling of the acoustic signal; basic elements of phonetic analysis, articulation, oscillographic and spectrographic analysis; discussion of the results. The colloquium aims to assess the assimilation of the principles and basic methods that drive current research in experimental phonetics.

The practice test consists of segmenting some speech files recorded during the pilot experiment. The trial segmentation only replicates analyzes already carried out and discussed during the class exercises in which the students have been involved.

Students will get a qualification if they prove to orient themselves in the topics of experimental phonetics covered during the Laboratory Course, and if they perform competently enough the speech signal’s trial segmentation.

Teaching tools

Lessons will include PowerPoint presentations. A freely downloadable software for acoustic analysis will be presented (http://www.fon.hum.uva.nl/praat/ ).

Office hours

See the website of Mario Vayra