Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

King Saud University

Teachers College
English Departments

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM
COURSE SYLLABUS

Course Title: Phonetics and Phonology

Course Code: : Eng 356
Number of credit hours: 2

Instructor:
Office phone: as announced in class
Office hours: as announced in class
E-mail: mjalal@ksu.edu.sa

I- Course Description:
This course introduces students to basic practical and descriptive and descriptive levels of the English
sound system and to such principles in other languages. As regards phonetics, the course covers the
vocal tract and its function in producing speech sounds. Consonants and vowels are described in
articulatory terms, and students are taught phonetic transcription. Moreover, attention is drawn to the
problems that speakers of Arabic have learning English pronunciation. With regard to phonology, on
the other hand, students study the contrastive sounds of language - phonemes- as well as the
phonological processes whereby the pronunciation of such sounds is affected when grouped with other
sounds. In addition, the course covers other phonological issues, such as phoneme distribution,
syllable structure, and prosodic features.

II- Rationale:
This course's significance arises from the fact that pronunciation is considered to be one of the most
important aspects of learning a language. This is because pronunciation errors may lead to confusion
and total misunderstanding. These errors may be avoided when students learn the sounds of the
language they are learning. This includes learning sounds in isolation as well as in connected speech.

III-Course Objectives:
By the end of this course, English majors are expected to be able to:
1. learn a number of technical terms related to the course.
2. describe the production of English sounds.
3. differentiate between consonants and vowels.
4. pronounce English sounds in isolation and in connected speech.
5. differentiate between consonants and vowels in all word-positions.
6. distinguish phonemes and allophones.
7. know the structure of the English syllable.
8. know the different types of stress in English.
9. distinguish strong and weak forms.
10. know different connected speech processes, such as assimilation, elision, linking, etc.
11. know the different intonation patterns of English.

1
IV-Calendar, Course Contents and Assignment Specifications:
Time Topic Assignments
Week 1 First session: Introduction to the Students are to:
Course 1. acquaint themselves with the basic
Second session: Continuation of issues of the course.
the first session 2. acquaint themselves with the technical
terms to be used in the course.
Week 2 First session: The Production of Students are to:
Speech Sounds 1. know the different organs of speech
Second session: Continuation of and their function in sound production.
the first session 2. know the different speech production
mechanisms.
Week 3 First session: English Short Students are to:
Vowels 1. learn the production of English short
Second session: Continuation of vowels.
the first session 2. listen to these vowels, and practice
pronouncing them in class.
3. attempt to provide examples which
contain these vowels in all word
positions and transcribe them.
Week 4 First session: English Long Students are to:
Vowels 1. learn the production of English long
Second session: Continuation of vowels.
the first session 2. listen to these vowels, and practice
pronouncing them in class.
3. attempt to provide examples which
contain these vowels in all word
positions and transcribe them.
Week 5 First session: English Diphthongs Students are to:
Second session: Continuation of 1. learn the production of English
the first session diphthongs.
2. listen to these sounds, and practice
pronouncing them in class.
3. attempt to provide examples which
contain these diphthongs in all word
positions and transcribe them.
Week 6 First session: English Triphthongs Students are to:
Second session: Continuation of 1. learn the production of English
the first session diphthongs.
2. listen to these sounds, and practice
pronouncing them in class.
3. attempt to provide examples which
contain these triphthongs in all word
positions and transcribe them.
Week 7 First session: English Plosives Students are to:
Second session: Continuation of 1. learn the production of English
the first session plosives.
2. listen to these sounds, and practice
pronouncing them in class.
3. attempt to provide examples which
contain these plosives in all word

2
 positions and transcribe them.
Week 8 First session: English Fricatives Students are to:
and Affricates 1. learn the production of English
Second session: Continuation of fricatives and affricates.
the first session 2. listen to these sounds, and practice
pronouncing them in class.
3. attempt to provide examples which
contain these sounds in all word
positions and transcribe them.
Week 9 First session: English Nasals and Students are to:
Approximants 1. learn the production of English nasals
Second session: Continuation of and approximants.
the first session 2. listen to these sounds, and practice
pronouncing them in class.
3. attempt to provide examples which
contain these sounds in all word
positions and transcribe them.
Week 10 First session: The Phoneme Students are to:
Second session: Continuation of 1. distinguish phonemes and allophones.
the first session 2. attempt to provide examples of
minimal pairs which contain
phonemes and allophones in English
and other languages.
Week 11 First session: The Syllable Students are to:
Second session: Continuation of 1. distinguish strong and weak syllables.
the first session 2. distinguish open and closed syllables.
3. attempt to provide examples from
English and other languages.
Week 12 First session: Stress Students are to:
Second session: Continuation of 1. practice different stress patterns in
the first session simple words.
2. practice different stress patterns in
complex words.
3. practice patterns of sentence stress.
4. attempt to provide examples from
English and other languages.
Week 13 First session: weak Forms Students are to:
Second session: Continuation of 1. distinguish strong and weak forms.
the first session 2. attempt to provide examples from
English and other languages.
Week 14 First session: Connected Speech Students are to:
Second session: Continuation of 1. distinguish different connected speech
the first session processes, such as assimilation,
elision, linking, etc.
2. attempt to provide examples from
English and other languages.
Week 15 First session: Intonation Students are to:
Second session: Continuation of 1. distinguish the different intonation
the first session patterns of English.
2. distinguish the functions of these
intonation patterns.
3. attempt to provide examples from
3
 English and other languages.

V- Evaluation:

Attendance, In-class activities 10 marks

Midterm written exam 15 marks
Assignments 15
Final written exam 60 marks
Total 100 marks

VI- Instructional Procedures:

Lecturing and discussion.

VII- General Course Requirements:

Students are expected to:
1. attend classes regularly.
2. take part in classroom discussions and practicals.
3. listen regularly to English sounds as well as utterances recorded on tapes.
4. submit assignments on time.
5. sit for the midterm and final exams.
VIII- Required texts:

- Roach, P. (1991). English Phonetics and Phonology. Cambridge: CUP.

IX- References

1. O'Conner, J.D. (1986). Phonetics, London: Pelican.

2. O'Connor, J. D. (1987). Better English Pronunciation. Cambridge: CUP.
3. Clark, J. & Yallop, C. (1992). An Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology. London:
Blackwell.
4. Ladefoged, P. (1993). A Course in Phonetics. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
5. Gimson, A. C. (1997). An Introduction to the Pronunciation of English. London: Arnold.

X- Internet sites for teaching English as a second or foreign language:

1. http://www.celt.stir.ac.uk/staff/HIGDOX/STEPHEN/PHONO/PHONOLG.HTM
2. http://www.phon.ox.ac.uk/~jcoleman/PHONOLOGY1.htm
3. http://www.ling.upenn.edu/courses/ling001/phonology.html
4. http://www.ims.uni-stuttgart.de/lehre/teaching/2004-SS/GK-Phon/
5. http://www.ling.hawaii.edu/faculty/stampe/phon.html