PLMFLP: Foundations of Linguistics, Phonetics and Phonology

Module code: PLMFLP

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

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Professor Vesna Stojanovik, email: V.Stojanovik@reading.ac.uk

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

Additional teaching staff 1: Mr Daniel Fryer, email: d.o.fryer@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

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

This module introduces the main concepts in linguistics and phonetics/phonology. The aim of this module is to enable the students to describe, analyse and interpret typical and clinical speech and language data. 

The linguistic content will cover grammatical categories, inflectional/derivational morphology, phrase and clause structure, complex syntactic constructions, semantics and pragmatics, sociolinguistics within the context of language acquisition and clinical linguistic data. The phonetics/phonology content will cover the articulation, perception and transcription of speech sounds, the patterning of speech sounds in English, and suprasegmental features of English. 

Module learning outcomes

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

1. Discuss the formal criteria for identifying grammatical categories and analyse sentences at phrase and clause level
2. Show awareness of sociolinguistic differences, regarding the speech and language system registers, different ways of communicating depending on the audience
3. Apply linguistic and phonetic/phonological concepts and terminology to clinical linguistic data
4. Understand articulation and perception of speech sounds, the English phonological system and use the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcription system, and an English phonemic transcription system

Module content

The content is organised as follows: there will be two lecture series running in parallel, one on topics in linguistics and the other one on phonetics and phonology. Topics will cover foundational terminology and concepts in linguistics and phonetics/phonology and will be supported by weekly seminars.  

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Weekly lectures supplemented with seminars based on prepared practical work. 

Study hours

At least 42 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.

Mock tests, seminar tasks, supporting exercises, and drop-in surgeries.  

Reassessment

Additional costs