PLMCPP: Clinical Phonetics and Phonology

Module code: PLMCPP

Module provider: Clinical Language Sciences; Sch of Psych and CLS

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Mirjana Sokolovic-Perovic, email: m.sokolovic@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s): IN THE SAME YEAR AS TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE PLMFLP (Compulsory)

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 23 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

In this module the students learn to apply knowledge of phonetics and phonology to clinical data and to collect and analyse data using perceptual and instrumental approaches. 

The aims of this module are: to familiarise students with the issues involved in data collection and representation in the study of speech development, to introduce the skill of applying theoretical concepts of phonetics and phonology to clinical data, to provide a framework for phonetic and phonological analysis of typical and disordered speech using perceptual and instrumental techniques; to familiarise students with IPA extensions and develop practical skills for the transcription of clinical data. Further, the module aims to provide a deeper understanding of English phonology and to enable students to carry out acoustic analysis of speech. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Transcribe and produce sounds from the IPA and extIPA charts, and carry out accurate transcription of typical and disordered speech data, 
2. Organise, analyse and interpret sets of phonological data from typical and atypical development by relating them to developmental norms and adult phonological system, 
3. Analyse and interpret visual displays of speech, 
4. Appraise the various instrumental techniques currently available for the analysis of speech and identify when they should most appropriately be used. 

Module content

In this module the students will understand the patterning of speech sounds in English and the distinction between the segmental and suprasegmental features of English.They will be introduced to the acoustic properties of speech sounds and how spectrograms can be interpreted. 

Students will practice using the symbols of the IPA. They will be introduced to the extensions of the IPA chart and practise transcription of disordered speech. They will be introduced to frameworks which will help them organise, analyse and interpret speech data, and relate it to developmental norms and to the adult phonological system. They will be familiarised with the issues involved in the assessment of bilingual clients and the assessment of suprasegmentals. The course will also introduce different types of instrumentation used in the analysis of normal and disordered speech including spectrography, laryngography and electropalatography. In lab sessions, students will be introduced to software for acoustic analysis and measurement.  

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

There will be twenty hours of lectures and ten practical transcription and oral practice seminars. In addition to this, there are three hours of pre-recorded video tutorials on methods in instrumental clinical phonetics, accessed through the Blackboard virtual learning environment, and a two-hour lab session. 

Study hours

At least 31 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Formative feedback on transcription and production of the sounds from the IPA and extIPA charts, 

Peer feedback on production of the sounds from the IPA and extIPA charts, 

Formative feedback on clinical data analysis and interpretation provided in group and pair exercises,  

Supporting exercises available on Blackboard Virtual Learning Environment. 

Reassessment

Additional costs