LING 120
Introduction to Speech Analysis
Fall 2009

 

This course focuses on experimental investigations of speech sounds. General contents include: the fundamentals of speech production and perception; speech analysis tools and techniques; and topics in phonetic studies. The course consists of integrated lectures and laboratory sessions. Students will learn modern computer techniques for analyzing digital recordings, whether of laboratory speech, political oratory or ordinary conversation.

This course fulfills the QDA requirement.

 

COURSE INFORMATION

Instructor

Jiahong Yuan, jiahong@babel.ling.upenn.edu (Office hours: Th 3:00-5:00; Williams Hall 609)

Time and Location

Lectures: MW 10:00 - 11:00; Williams Hall 204

Labs: F 10:00-11:00; Williams Hall 623 (phonetics lab)

Textbooks

1. P. B. Denes and E. N. Pinson (1993), The speech chain: The physics and biology of spoken language (second edition).
2. P. Ladefoged (2003), Phonetic Data Analysis: An introduction to Fieldwork and Instrumental Techniques.

Organization

Lectures meet twice each week, on Mondays and Wednesdays. You should read the relevant material from the textbook before the lectures. Laboratory sessions meet once a week on Fridays.

Grading
  • Lab assignments: 40% of final grade
  • Mid-term exam: 40% of final grade
  • Final project: 20% of final grade

Course webpage

http://ling.upenn.edu/courses/ling120/

 

Week

Topics

Readings

Week 1

Sep. 9-

Overview of the course, recording and sampling (pdf).

Lab: Recording, using Praat (pdf).

Denes & Pinson, Ch. 1-2.

Ladefoged, Ch. 1.

Week 2

Sep. 14-

Anatomy of speech production, phonetic transcription (pdf).

 

Lab: Phonetic transcription (pdf).

Denes & Pinson, Ch. 4.

Week 3
Sep. 21-

The physics of sounds (pdf).

Lab: Measuring waveforms (pdf).

Denes & Pinson, Ch. 3.

Week 4

Sep. 28-

The acoustics of speech production, acoustic analysis of vowels (pdf).

Lab: Measuring and plotting vowel formants (pdf).

Denes & Pinson, Ch. 7.

Ladefoged, Ch. 5.

Week 5

Oct. 5-

Acoustic analysis of consonants (pdf).

Lab: Spectrogram reading.

Ladefoged, Ch. 6.

Week 6

Oct. 12-

Acoustic analysis of speech prosody (pdf).

Lab: Prosodic features - Part I (pdf).

Ladefoged, Ch. 4.

Week 7

Oct. 21-

Analysis of speech variation and statistical techniques - part I (pdf).

Lab: Prosodic features – Part II (pdf).

 

Week 8

Oct. 26-

Analysis of speech variation and statistical techniques - part II (pdf).

Lab: VOT in Swahili (html).

 

Week 9

Nov. 2-

Introduction to speech synthesis (pdf).

Lab: Formant synthesis (pdf).

 

Week 10

Nov. 9-

Introduction to speech recognition (pdf).

 

Lab: Final project proposal.

 

Week 11

Nov. 16-

Introduction to speech perception, mid-term review.

Lab: No lab.

 

Week 12

Nov. 23-

Mid-term exam (Nov. 23)

Happy thanksgiving!

 

Week 13

Nov. 30-

TBA.

 

Week 14

Dec. 7-

Final project presentations (Dec. 9)