This syllabus is updated after each day's class.
Use it to keep track of what we've done and where we're going.
See also the schedule of topics for a general overview.
[01] Tu Jan 10
- Covered today:
[outline]
- Introduction to the course structure
- Introduction to the course content
- Prepare: Be familiar with basic phonetics symbols and terms;
bring any questions next time for review and discussion
- Reading (optional): Hayes (2009), Ch 1
(find book in Course Reserves on Canvas)
- This is useful for reviewing phonetics terms and concepts
- Assignment: Prep questions 01.12, "Background & interests survey"
(on Canvas, in Quizzes)
[02] Th Jan 12
- Covered today: Review of Ling 101-level phonetics material
[outline]
- Prepare: Phonetics quiz on Tu Jan 17
- For preparation and practice, see links posted last class
[03] Tu Jan 17
- Covered today:
- Phonetics check-in; transition to phonology
[outline]
- Phonetics quiz
- Practice problem: Arabic consonants
- Consider consonant groups (a)-(e) from this data set
- For each group,
using the traditional phonetic properties that you studied for the phonetics quiz,
is it possible to state a simple list
(avoiding and or or, that is, you wouldn't say "high or mid vowels")
that
- includes all the consonants in the group and
- excludes all other
consonants seen in this data set (belonging to the other groups)?
- This goes with prep questions 01.19, due Th 11:00am
(on Canvas, in Quizzes)
[04] Th Jan 19
- Covered today: Phonology as science; representing segments and classes
[outline]
- To read for Tu Jan 24:
Handout - Phonological features: Basic model
- Practice problems:
Can each phonologically natural class
be uniquely described in terms of the phonological features in our model?
- Arabic consonants -
Try it for consonant groups (a)-(e)
- Turkish suffixes -
Try it for the six vowel groups we identified in class discussion
- These go with prep questions 01.24, due Tu 11:00am
(on Canvas, in Quizzes)
[05] Tu Jan 24
- Covered today: Features, sound classes, morphemes
[outline]
- Practice problem: Lamba
- Try to separate each word into morphemes
- For morphemes with multiple surface forms: What factors matter? Can you express classes using features?
- Goes with prep questions 01.26, due Th 11:00
(on Canvas, in Quizzes)
[06] Th Jan 26
- Covered today: Phonology and morphology; alternating morphemes
[outline]
- To read for Tu Jan 31:
- Practice problem: Dutch
- What morphemes alternate in this data set? What are their URs?
What phonological processes do we need to propose?
- This goes with prep questions 01.31, due Tu 11:00am
(on Canvas, in Quizzes)
- Extra practice: Feature charts worksheet handout
[07] Tu Jan 31
- Covered today: Alternating morphemes; URs and phonological rules
[outline]
- To read for Tu Jan 31: Odden (2013), Ch 4 excerpt -
this reading reinforces the concepts we discussed in our analysis of Dutch in class
- Go to the
library catalog page for this book
- Click the blue "Full text available..." button (and sign in with ONYEN if asked)
- Scroll down to Ch 4 and click "PDF"
- Read sec 4.1, sec 4.2, and sec 4.3 up to p 77 (to the end of the Kerewe analysis)
- Practice problem: Use features to express the generalizations
about the morpheme alternations that we have
been analyzing in the following data sets:
- Data set - Dutch
- Data set - Lamba
- This goes with prep questions 02.02, due Th 11:00am
(on Canvas, in Quizzes)
- Office hours: (Today only) 3-4pm
- FYI: Phonology/phonetics researchers looking for experiment participants!
- For native speakers of English:
A listening experiment on smiling and voice quality
(info)
- For native speakers of English, German, and Mandarin:
An online study of English pronunciation
(info)
[08] Th Feb 2
- Covered today: Modeling morpheme alternations with phonological rules
[outline]
- Prepare: Review features and how we use them to describe classes of sounds
- FYI: Some optional readings have been posted
on the Further reading page
for those who would like more
examples, more background, or another perspective on course topics
[09] Tu Feb 7
- Covered today: Features and rules - predictions of our model
[outline]
- To read for Th Feb 9:
- Practice problem: Turkish rules follow-up
[10] Th Feb 9
- Covered today: Generalizing phonological rules
[outline]
- Upcoming: Write-up #1 is due Tu Feb 21
- Data set - Somali
- Start early: separate the morphemes, identify alternations
- Apply the skills and concepts we have been developing in
prep questions and class discussions!
- What is our collaboration policy on assignments?
Tu Feb 14 ♥
- Well-being day — no class
[11] Th Feb 16
- Covered today: Phonemes, allophones, complementary distribution
[outline]
- To read for Tu Feb 21 (summarizes and expands key points from today):
- Assignment: Write-up #1 is due Tu Feb 21
- Data set - Somali
- Submit on Canvas
[12] Tu Feb 21
- Covered today: Motivating syllables; introduction to syllable structure
[outline]
- Upcoming: Cairene Arabic
- We will discuss this data set in class next time (no preparation is assigned)
- FYI: Software and files for aspiration demo
- FYI 2: The Resources page is now updated with links to course handouts
[13] Th Feb 23
- Covered today: Motivating syllables; diagnosing syllable structure
[outline]
- To read for Tu Feb 28:
- Prepare: Tibetan numerals
- This goes with prep questions 02.28, due Tu 11:00am
(on Canvas, in Quizzes)
- Note: If you are having
trouble writing a simple, general rule for this data set, reconsider your assumptions!
[14] Tu Feb 28
- Covered today: Diagnosing syllable structure;
syllable-structure options and syllable-building rules
[outline]
- To read for Tu Mar 2:
- Prepare: Answer prep questions 03.02, due Th 11:00am
(on Canvas, in Quizzes)
[15] Th Mar 2
- Covered today: Understanding and applying syllable-building rules
[outline]
- Prepare: Korean loanwords
- What can you determine about possible nuclei, onsets, and codas from this data set?
- This goes with prep questions 03.07, due Tu 11:00am
(on Canvas, in Quizzes)
[16] Tu Mar 7
[17] Th Mar 9
- Covered today: [no outline]
- Restrictions on possible syllable structures
- Discussion of WU #1
- WU #1: Somali
- Focus on: Finding evidence from data set; arguments to support proposals
- Prepare: Exam review on Tu Mar 21
Tu Mar 14 — Th Mar 16
[18] Tu Mar 21
- Covered today:
[outline]
- Review for midterm exam
- Some useful data sets for discussion
- Some potential discussion topics we didn't get to...
- FYI: Extended office hours (2:15-4:15) today
- Prepare: Midterm exam on Th Mar 23
- Review guide
- Some additional resources:
- Optional reading on syllables: Hayes book (in Canvas
Course Reserves), Ch 13
- Assigned reading on morpheme alternations and URs:
see Odden Ch 4 reading from Tu Jan 31
(Course Reserves
also now works)
- Video (YouTube, 19:51)
on solving a complementary distribution (allophones) problem, with nice discussion of environments
[19] Th Mar 23
- Covered today: Midterm exam
- FYI: UNC Linguistics Spring Colloquium (research conference) on Sa Mar 25!
- It's fine to attend just certain events (please enter/leave between talks)
- Info and schedule here:
2023 Spring Colloquium
[20] Tu Mar 28
- Covered today:
[outline] (updated after class)
- Child phonology - Implications for the phonological grammar
- Rule conspiracies and other problems with rule-based phonology
- For next time: Prepare for discussion of phonological model using "goals" and "priorities"
- What questions or thoughts do you have about this approach?
- (No prep questions due)
[21] Th Mar 30
- Covered today: "Goal"-based phonology: Optimality Theory
[outline]
- To read for Tu Apr 5:
- Prepare: Thinking about candidates and constraints in OT
- This goes with prep questions 04.04, due Th 11:00am
(on Canvas, in Quizzes)
[22] Tu Apr 4
Th Apr 6
- Well-being day — no class
[23] Tu Apr 11
- Covered today: Informative losers; ranking arguments; syllable-structure analysis in OT
[outline] (updated after class)
- To read for Th Apr 13:
- Practice problem: Constraint rankings and their predictions
- This goes with prep questions 04.13, due Th 11:00am
(on Canvas, in Quizzes)
[24] Th Apr 13
- Covered today: Factorial typology; OT model predictions
[outline]
- To read for Tu Apr 18:
- Practice problem: Greek
- This goes with prep questions 04.18, due Th 11:00am
(on Canvas, in Quizzes)
[25] Tu Apr 18
- Covered today: Complementary distribution; predictable information in OT;
Richness of the Base
[outline]
- Exercise - A CVCV language
- This goes with participation activity c04.18, due Th 11:00am
(on Canvas, in Quizzes)
- You are welcome to post questions on the class
Padlet board;
I will try to answer them on Padlet as they come up
- To read for Th Apr 20:
- Practice problem: Greek (again)
- This goes with prep questions 04.20, due Th 11:00am
(on Canvas, in Quizzes)
[26] Th Apr 20
- Covered today: Predictable distribution in OT
[outline]
- FYI: Office hours today (in place of Tu Apr 18), 2:15-3:15
- To read for Tu Apr 25:
- Practice problem:
Factorial typology of the constraints introduced in today's discussion
- Exercise -
The factorial typology of segmental distribution
- Print or save this worksheet and fill it out to answer the prep questions
- This goes with prep questions 04.25, due Tu 11:00am
(on Canvas, in Quizzes)
- See today's lecture outline or assigned reading (handout) for constraint definitions
- Upcoming: WU #2 (Italian) due Th May 4, 12:00 noon
[27] Tu Apr 25
- Covered today:
[outline]
- Factorial typology of segment distribution
-
Child phonology in OT (next time)
- To read for Th Apr 27:
- Prep questions: OT skills quick check -
prep questions 04.27, due Th 11:00am
(on Canvas, in Quizzes)
- This refers to the Tibetan data set
- FYI: Some additional resources have been posted
- Assignment: WU #2 (Italian) due Th May 4, 12:00 noon, as PDF
(on Canvas, in Assignments)
- Upcoming: Final exam is Th May 4 at 12 noon;
you will have a chance to ask review questions on Th Apr 27
[28] Th Apr 27
- Covered today: Course wrap-up, review, and discussion
[outline]
- Child phonology in OT
- OT vs. rule-based models of phonology
- Key points of course; exam review
- Assignment: WU #2 (Italian) due Th May 4, 12:00 noon, as PDF
(on Canvas, in Assignments)
- Upcoming: Final exam is Th May 4 at 12 noon
Exam review session | W May 3, 4-5pm, Dey 304
- Zoom link (via Canvas):
[here]
- Review materials:
- Assignment: WU #2 (Italian) due Th May 4, 12:00 noon, as PDF
(on Canvas, in Assignments)
- Upcoming: Final exam is Th May 4 at 12 noon