Overview
This unit will focus on acoustic phonetics and phonetic transcription of speech. You will apply this theoretical knowledge to practice in a speech pathology context across culturally and linguistically diverse settings. You will be introduced to basic acoustics related to speech, including the analysis of sound waves and speech samples. You will form an understanding of the relationship between the vocal tract and speech sounds produced, as well as the interface between phonetics, phonology and supra-segmentals. The assessment tasks will require you to demonstrate knowledge and skills in listening to and transcribing both normal and disordered speech using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and Australian-English vowel symbols, a fundamental skill required when assessing, diagnosing and treating people with speech disorders.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisites: ALLH11005 Anatomy and Physiology for Health Professionals 1 ALLH11004 Anatomy and Physiology for Health Professionals
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2018
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from 'Have Your Say' unit evaluation
Students reported that being able to analyse 'real people' was beneficial and that the assessment tasks gave them the opportunity to learn.
Assessment tasks that are practical, relevant, and based on real people will continue to be provided to students in the future.
Feedback from 'Have Your Say' unit evaluation
Tutorials were fun, interactive, and beneficial to the students' learning. The tutorials also contained content that related to clinical practice.
Tutorials will continue to be interactive, practical and fun. The unit coordinator will also make clear links between the content covered and clinical practice, so that students understand its importance and relevance.
Feedback from 'Have Your Say' unit evaluation
Students reported that the assessment tasks and the lectures were very long and complex and that the content covered was too difficult. Less content and/or smaller assignments should be provided in future years.
Students will be provided with further scaffolding in tutorials, to assist them to break the assessment tasks into smaller, manageable parts. The unit coordinator and lecturer will continue to assist students to understand the content and to ensure that this is appropriate for students who are studying to become speech pathologists.
- Transcribe Australian English connected speech using International Phonetic Association symbols and Australian vowel symbols
- Use anatomical knowledge of the shape and formation of the vocal tract to describe and acoustically analyse speech
- Identify and describe acoustic principles and properties related to speech.
Competency in acoustic and phonetic analysis of communication samples is a foundation skill that is necessary for success as a practising speech pathologist. The following information describes the range of practice areas and competencies that are linked to this unit's learning outcomes, content and/or assessments:
Speech Pathology Range of Practice Areas:
Speech and Voice (Child and Adult)
Competency-based Occupational Standards for Speech Pathology (CBOS 2011):
Unit 1 Assessment - Elements 1.1. 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4 to Novice standard
Unit 2 Analysis and interpretation - Elements 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4 to Novice standard
Unit 3 Planning evidence based speech pathology practices - Elements 3.2, 3.3 and 3.4 to Novice standard
Unit 6 Professional and supervisory practice - Element 6.1 to Novice standard
Competency Assessment in Speech Pathology (COMPASS®) Generic Professional Competencies:
Unit 1 Reasoning - Elements 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 to Novice standard
Unit 2 Communication - Elements 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 to Novice standard
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 30% | |||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 40% | |||
| 3 - Practical Assessment - 30% | |||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||
| 5 - Team Work | |||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 30% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 40% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Practical Assessment - 30% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
Australian English Pronunciation and Transcription
Edition: Second (2017)
Authors: Felicity Cox
Cambridge University Press
Cambridge Cambridge , United Kingdom
ISBN: 9781316639269
Binding: Paperback
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 6th Edition (APA 6th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
l.skinner@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
- Explanation of expectations for the term
- Explanation of involvement in Accent Reduction program (commencing Monday in Week 2)
- Introduction to speech production (consonants and articulators)
- Introduction to suprasegmentals
Chapter
Cox, F. (2017). Australian English Pronunciation and Transcription (2nd ed.). Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
Note: Specific details regarding chapter / pages to be read from Cox (2017), as well as additional recommended readings from alternative sources, will be provided through Moodle and/or during classes.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
- Q&A regarding Accent Reduction program
- Review and extension of Week 1 topics, including speech production and suprasegmentals
- Introduction to phonemic transcription
- Spectrograms
- PRAAT & suprasegmentals (pitch, loudness, duration, coarticulation, stress, etc.)
- Commencement of Accent Reduction program at the English Language Centre (ELC)
Chapter
Cox, F. (2017). Australian English Pronunciation and Transcription (2nd ed.). Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
Note: Specific details regarding chapter / pages to be read from Cox (2017), as well as additional recommended readings from alternative sources, will be provided through Moodle and/or during classes.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
- Sound and sound transmission
- Properties of sound waves (waveforms, frequency, amplitude, intensity)
- Continuation of Accent Reduction program
Chapter
Cox, F. (2017). Australian English Pronunciation and Transcription (2nd ed.). Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
Note: Specific details regarding chapter / pages to be read from Cox (2017), as well as additional recommended readings from alternative sources, will be provided through Moodle and/or during classes.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
- Debrief regarding Accent Reduction program
- Vowels
- Continuation of Accent Reduction program
Chapter
Cox, F. (2017). Australian English Pronunciation and Transcription (2nd ed.). Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
Note: Specific details regarding chapter / pages to be read from Cox (2017), as well as additional recommended readings from alternative sources, will be provided through Moodle and/or during classes.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
- More on vowels, including vowels on spectrogram
- Continuation of Accent Reduction program
Chapter
Cox, F. (2017). Australian English Pronunciation and Transcription (2nd ed.). Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
Note: Specific details regarding chapter / pages to be read from Cox (2017), as well as additional recommended readings from alternative sources, will be provided through Moodle and/or during classes.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
No lectures, tutorials or Accent Reduction program during recess week
Chapter
There are no specific readings this week.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
- More on consonants, including consonants on spectrogram
- International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
- Broad/phonemic transcription
- Continuation of Accent Reduction program
Chapter
Cox, F. (2017). Australian English Pronunciation and Transcription (2nd ed.). Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
Note: Specific details regarding chapter / pages to be read from Cox (2017), as well as additional recommended readings from alternative sources, will be provided through Moodle and/or during classes.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
- More consonants on spectrograms
- Narrow/phonetic transcription (allophones, diacritics)
- Continuation of Accent Reduction program
Chapter
Cox, F. (2017). Australian English Pronunciation and Transcription (2nd ed.). Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
Note: Specific details regarding chapter / pages to be read from Cox (2017), as well as additional recommended readings from alternative sources, will be provided through Moodle and/or during classes.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
- Complex articulations
- Transcription narratives
- More phonemic and phonetic transcription
- Continuation of Accent Reduction program
Chapter
Cox, F. (2017). Australian English Pronunciation and Transcription (2nd ed.). Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
Note: Specific details regarding chapter / pages to be read from Cox (2017), as well as additional recommended readings from alternative sources, will be provided through Moodle and/or during classes.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online quiz will be available on Monday morning and must be completed and submitted by 11:55pm on Friday (04/05/2018).
Online Quiz Due: Week 8 Friday (4 May 2018) 11:55 pm AEST
Module/Topic
- Interface between phonetics and phonology (phonotactics, syllable structure, etc.)
- Intelligibility and comprehensibility
- Continuation of Accent Reduction program
Chapter
Cox, F. (2017). Australian English Pronunciation and Transcription (2nd ed.). Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
Note: Specific details regarding chapter / pages to be read from Cox (2017), as well as additional recommended readings from alternative sources, will be provided through Moodle and/or during classes.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
- Speech sounds in Australia and throughout the world
- Integration and practical application of skills and knowledge acquired this term
- Continuation of Accent Reduction program
Chapter
Cox, F. (2017). Australian English Pronunciation and Transcription (2nd ed.). Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
Note: Specific details regarding chapter / pages to be read from Cox (2017), as well as additional recommended readings from alternative sources, will be provided through Moodle and/or during classes.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment Item 2 (Written Assessment) is due on Friday of Week 10 (18/05/2018) and must be submitted via Moodle by 11:55pm.
Speech Analysis Assignment Due: Week 10 Thursday (17 May 2018) 11:55 pm AEST
Module/Topic
- Further phonemic and phonetic transcription practice
- Continuation of Accent Reduction program
Chapter
Cox, F. (2017). Australian English Pronunciation and Transcription (2nd ed.). Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
Note: Specific details regarding chapter / pages to be read from Cox (2017), as well as additional recommended readings from alternative sources, will be provided through Moodle and/or during classes.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
- Revision of term topics
- Conclusion of Accent Reduction program
Chapter
Cox, F. (2017). Australian English Pronunciation and Transcription (2nd ed.). Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
Note: Specific details regarding chapter / pages to be read from Cox (2017), as well as additional recommended readings from alternative sources, will be provided through Moodle and/or during classes.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
There are no classes this week.
Chapter
There are no readings this week.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment Item 3 (Practical Assessment) is due on Wednesday of Review/Exam Week (06/06/2018) and must be submitted via Moodle by 11:55pm.
Phonetic Transcription Assignment Due: Review/Exam Week Wednesday (6 June 2018) 11:55 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Welcome to Term 1 and your study in SPCH13005 Acoustics and Phonetics.
This is the first year that the topics of linguistics and phonetics will be taught in separate terms as part of two different units. Students will therefore have the opportunity to focus solely on phonetics and the acoustics of speech during this unit, rather than having it intermingled with the additional topic of linguistics.
The required textbook for this unit is Felicity Cox's book, Australian English Pronunciation and Transcription (2nd ed), and this will be an invaluable source of information throughout the term.
The unit coordinator for this term is Leisa Skinner, and she can be contacted via email: l.skinner@cqu.edu.au. Leisa will be co-teaching with Dr Barbra Zupan, Head of the Speech Pathology course, who can also be contacted via email: b.zupan@cqu.edu.au.
1 Online Quiz(zes)
You will be required to complete an online quiz in Week 8. This quiz will include a combination of multiple-choice, short-answer and/or true/false questions which will be based on the range of topics that are related to both acoustics and phonetics and that are covered in the lectures provided in Weeks 1-7.
The quiz will be available for you to complete in your own time during Week 8. However you will only be allowed one attempt and there will be a set amount of time (1 hour) for you to complete it. Therefore, once you commence the quiz then you must finish within 60 minutes. Further information regarding the logistics of the quiz will be provided on the unit Moodle site and will also be discussed in class.
1
Other
Week 8 Friday (4 May 2018) 11:55 pm AEST
The quiz must be completed between Monday 9:00am and Friday 11:55pm of Week 8.
Week 9 Friday (11 May 2018)
The quiz results will be made available through Moodle by Friday of Week 9 (11/05/2018).
The online quiz will contain a range of multiple-choice, short-answer and/or true/false questions, each of which will be worth a designated number of marks that will be specified on the quiz. Marks will therefore be awarded accordingly, based on the accuracy of your responses.
The questions will be based on the range of topics covered in each of the lectures provided in the weeks prior to the quiz (Weeks 1-7) and will relate to both acoustics and phonetics. For example, questions may be related to your knowledge of consonants, vowels, spectrograms, suprasegmentals, sounds and sound waves.
In order to pass this assessment item, a minimum total mark of 50% is required.
- Use anatomical knowledge of the shape and formation of the vocal tract to describe and acoustically analyse speech
- Identify and describe acoustic principles and properties related to speech.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
- Social Innovation
2 Written Assessment
For this assessment item you will gain experience analysing speech in a range of different ways. This assignment will be broken down into 3 sections:
Part 1: Phonemic transcription - You will be provided with samples of phonemic transcriptions of utterances which you must then analyse, interpret and report on, by completing a series of tasks. For example, this may involve detecting errors in a written transcription and/or identifying phenomena that are unexpected for a speaker of Standard Australian English, and demonstrating a clear understanding of why these are considered to be inaccurate and/or atypical.
Part 2: Spectrographic analyses - You will be required to use the PRAAT program to analyse a range of features of speech production. This will involve making recordings of specific words and/or phrases and then, using spectrographic information obtained through PRAAT, identifying particular features of these utterances (such as differences in duration or pitch) and making comparisons between these features in different words/phrases.
Part 3: Understanding the application of speech analyses – In order to complete this section of the assignment, you will need to reflect on the tasks you have completed in Parts 1 and 2 of this assignment, as well as your experiences in the Accent Reduction program. You will describe the potential role of speech analyses in the speech pathology field (such as in Accent Reduction programs). For example, why might it be important to understand the phonetic and/or acoustic features of a client’s speech? In which ways do you envisage that the skills and knowledge acquired through the completion of this assignment might be useful in your role as a speech pathologist in the future?
The specific details regarding this assessment task will be provided during lectures and a marking rubric will be available via the unit Moodle site. This assignment will be due in Week 10.
Week 10 Thursday (17 May 2018) 11:55 pm AEST
This assignment is to be submitted via Moodle by 11:55pm on Thursday of Week 10 (17/05/2018).
Week 12 Friday (1 June 2018)
The results and feedback will be made available to students within fourteen days of the submission date (01/06/2018).
A marking rubric containing specific assessment criteria for this task will be made available on the unit Moodle site during term. These criteria will be based on your ability to:
- read, analyse and interpret the phonemic transcription of a speech sample
- use PRAAT to record and provide an acoustic analysis of specific segments of a speech sample
- report on your findings in a professional format
- demonstrate an understanding of the importance and the role of speech analyses in the field of Speech Pathology
- use appropriate writing conventions, including accurate spelling, grammar, punctuation, cohesion, clarity, and organisation
- use APA referencing
- Transcribe Australian English connected speech using International Phonetic Association symbols and Australian vowel symbols
- Identify and describe acoustic principles and properties related to speech.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
- Social Innovation
3 Practical Assessment
For this assessment task, you will be provided with a video recording of a speech sample which you must transcribe phonetically (this will include the use of diacritics where appropriate). You must then provide an analysis of your transcription in a written report. This report will require you to describe a number of features of the speaker's speech as well as the transcription. In addition, you will provide a narrative description of the articulation of a given segment (word or short phrase).
The specific details regarding this assessment task will be provided during lectures and a marking rubric will be available via the unit Moodle site. This assignment will be due in the first exam week.
Review/Exam Week Wednesday (6 June 2018) 11:55 pm AEST
This assignment is to be submitted via Moodle by 11:55pm on Wednesday of the Review/Exam Week (06/06/2018).
Exam Week Friday (15 June 2018)
The results and feedback will be made available to students by the end of the second Exam Week (15/06/2018).
A marking rubric containing specific assessment criteria for this task will be made available on the unit Moodle site during term. These criteria will be based on your ability to:
- phonetically transcribe a recorded speech sample
- analyse a range of features of the recorded speech sample
- analyse a range of features of your phonetic transcription
- report on your findings in a professional format
- use appropriate writing conventions, including accurate spelling, grammar, punctuation, cohesion, clarity, and organisation
- use APA referencing
- Transcribe Australian English connected speech using International Phonetic Association symbols and Australian vowel symbols
- Use anatomical knowledge of the shape and formation of the vocal tract to describe and acoustically analyse speech
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
