English Phonetics and Phonology is a compulsory course with 2 credit hours per week. The significance of this course arises from the fact that pronunciation is considered to be one of the most important aspects of language learning. 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, which includes learning sounds in isolation as well as in connected speech.
Besides dealing with the practical and theoretical study of speech sounds (Phonetics) and the systematic use of such sounds in language (Phonology), this course also introduces the students to some basic principles of linguistics such as the definition and properties of language as well as sub-fields of linguistics (Introduction to Linguistics). Regarding with phonetics, the course covers the vocal tract and its function in producing speech sounds, besides the phonemic symbols for transcribing the spoken language. Consonants and vowels are described in articulatory terms (i.e. places and manners of articulation). Attention is especially drawn for English sounds that are not available in Bahasa Indonesia. With regard to phonology, students study contrastive sounds of English –phonemes— as well as the phonological processes whereby the pronunciation of such sounds is affected when grouped with other sounds.
- Teacher: Toyyibah Toyyibah