spring 2012
Phonology II:
Exceptional Sound Systems
The aim of modern phonological theory
is to reveal underlying principles that explain language sound structure in the
world's languages. Research in phonological theory has traditionally limited the
field of inquiry to normal adult language sources. In this course we will extend
the domain of phonological theory to include more exceptional speech data -- data
from language learners and from other atypical sources.
We will analyze phonological
data from eight exceptional language sources: child first language deviance,
adult second language acquisition, pidgin and creole languages, aphasic speech,
slips of the tongue, language games, speaking in tongues, and weird text language,
like alien language from science fiction. These types of speech behaviors are
not willy-nilly sound productions, rather they all appear to abide by the same
underlying principles that normal languages do.
registered
students should to to http://masonportal.gmu.edu for a syllabus and more class information