Course content

The course is an introduction to the use of digital methods for linguistic text analysis and phonetic speech processing.

It gives insights into the development and realisation of data-oriented linguistic projects, either for media-oriented linguistic knowledge dissemination, or as a part of language teaching. Students will develop their own linguistic projects, and transcribe audio- and text resources. They will use different digital linguistic tools to manage and annotate language data. The use of questionnaires and linguistic interviews will be discussed, and the use of glossing inventories and of the grammatical concepts on which these glossing is based will be exemplified and explained. The students will work with the analysis of texts, and learn to develop small research corpora. Terms such as 'metadata', 'data validity', and 'data pertinence' will play a central role.
As a tool for speech analysis the Praat programme will be used. Analysis involves transcription of speech using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), and segmentation and annotation of speech recordings. In addition, recording techniques and instrumental analysis of fundamental frequency contours (word accents, tones, intonation) as well as spectral characteristics of vowels and consonants will be dealt with.

Learning outcome

The course familiarises students with the methods and tools used in modern linguistic analysis. The focus is on the training of digital linguistic and phonetic methods which are essential for the implementation of language projects and language teaching.

Students gain insight into the relation between tag-sets, grammatical terms, and linguistic theory. The course prepares students for further studies in language description and data-oriented linguistics, but also for the use of linguistic projects as part of language teaching. It provides a solid foundation to do linguistic fieldwork including auditory and instrumental analysis of speech, that is, the study of language in areas where it is spoken.

Through this course you gain:

- a good command of digital linguistic tool for the annotation of speech and text
- the ability to transcribe speech using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
- a good overview over linguistic annotation standards
- an insight into the relation between tag-sets, grammatical concepts and linguistic theory
- the competence to engage in field work (the study of language in the area where it is spoken)

Learning methods and activities

Lectures, group work, computer exercises and personal supervision. The course can be taught in English or Norwegian.

Compulsory assignments:
8 small exercises for the phonetics part. 3 obligatory assignments consisting of a linguistics and a phonetics part. These assignments will receive one final grade which will count as 50% of the course grade.

All compulsory assignments and the portfolio need to be approved before the student is admitted to the exam. Each of the assignments has a phonetic and a linguistic part. Exercises and assignments are delivered on It's learning. You as the student are responsible for the readability of the files uploaded. The eight small exercises will prepare you for the assignments. Your portfolio consists only of the three assignments. Their size depends on the tasks given. Each assignment will be considered individually, but the final grade given is based on an overall assessment of the portfolio. The portfolio and the home examination are weighted 50-50. If the course is not passed, the student must retake the part(s) which (s)he failed.

Compulsory assignments

• 3 obligatory exercises

Recommended previous knowledge

LING1105 Introduction to General Linguistics or LING1115 Introduction to Phonology and General Linguistic Tools, as well as FON1101 Introduction to Phonetics

Required previous knowledge

EXFAC0003 Language and Literature or equivalent (does not apply to Mphil students)

Course materials

Will be announced at the beginning of the semester.