Phonology

4.0 credits

This course introduces students to the core principles and analytical tools of phonology—the study of how speech sounds are organized in human language. Through examination of diverse phonological patterns from a typologically broad set of languages, students will explore the most active and exciting areas of research in contemporary phonological theory. Moving beyond the classical rule-based and constraint-based models, we examine how phonology interfaces with phonetics, morphology, and typology, and how new methods—from experimental and computational approaches to fieldwork on under-documented languages—are transforming the field. This course may explore the following topics: Phonological opacity and how current models (Stratal OT, Harmonic Serialism, Cophonology Theory), tonal phonology and its theoretical and empirical challenges, the phonetics-phonology interface: grounded vs. substance-free theories, laboratory phonology and the use of instrumental methods, and phonology in language documentation and revitalization, variation, gradience, and probabilistic grammars. Throughout the course, students will engage with recent research articles, participate in data-driven discussions, and develop a final research project grounded in the latest debates and methodologies in the field.