Phonology is concerned with the way speech sounds are organized into systems. Which sounds occur in a given language? What are the rules for their combination? How are they realized in different positions of a word or phrase? In order to answer these kinds of questions, phonologists look not only at the patterning of segments, but also at the way that patterning can be explained in terms of more basic properties called distinctive features. They look at prosodic units like syllables that group sounds into larger units. They also study aspects of the speech signal that are in principle independent of the segment, like stress, tone, and rhythm.

The main goal of this course is to give you experience analyzing phonological systems in a theoretically informed way. You will learn to appreciate what kinds of problems the field of phonology aims to account for, to argue for solutions to those problems, and to understand the significance of your analyses in terms of the broader concerns of phonological theory as it has evolved historically.

This is an advanced course that presumes at least some background in linguistics. We will move quickly through the material, and you will need to be well prepared having read and done the assignments for each class meeting, so that we can all participate at a high level in class discussions and group problem solving.

The course will be structured in part around a textbook that will introduce you to the foundational concepts in the field. This practical foundation will be complemented by readings from the primary literature to expose you to historically significant and newly emerging ideas and analyses. The supplementary readings may require more than one going-over since they are articles written for a readership of practicing linguists. I will try to give you direction as you head into these readings to help you know where to focus. You should also expect to find the problem sets challenging. They are intended to help you develop your analytical skills while demonstrating or motivating concepts we are discussing in class. In addition to the problem sets, there will be a final take-home exam that will give you a chance to pull together the many new concepts you have encountered over the semester.