160147 VO Lecture in Phonology (2017S)

Content: Building on the basics in my introductory class (“Einführung in die Phonetik und Phonologie) or equivalent, this class looks more closely at the properties and functioning of the phonological competence of humans. We will examine all levels of phonology, from the smallest units (properties of individual sounds which form natural classes) up to the largest (prosody). Special attention will be given to the level of syllable structure because this level relates to both the individual sounds and prosodic properties (intonation, stress). In order to investigate the full range of phonological competence, data from many very different languages will be adduced (without neglecting German).
Methods: In order to make this class give maximal credit to students, it is divided into two parts: a lecture and a proseminar. The lecture part consists of upfront (ex cathedra) teaching (with handouts etc. on Moodle) plus listening to the proseminar part. The proseminar part contains (in addition to the lecture part) on the one hand discussion of the relevant content and on the other hand presentations (Referate) by the participants, with a handout. The participants themselves are responsible for:-
· choosing a topic (with my help – usually 1-2 publications) and a sensible date for their presentation (fairness conditions can be discussed in class);
· preparing a handout (that includes their own email address!) and sending it to me at least one week before the presentation for checking / correction;
· bringing a sufficient number of handouts to their presentation (they can print them from PDF’s in the secretariat – the printer can staple them if necessary).
Aims: This class is intended to make it possible for participants to understand and assess the current discourse of active phonological researchers.