Logo UAB
2022/2023

Catalan Phonetics and Prescriptive Spoken Language

Code: 105828 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2503998 Catalan Philology: Literary Studies and Linguistics OB 2 1

Contact

Name:
Daniel Recasens Vives
Email:
daniel.recasens@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
catalan (cat)
Some groups entirely in English:
No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Prerequisites

To have basic knowledge of the phonetics, phonology and morphology of the

Catalan language, and a certain mastery of the phonetic transcription technique.

Objectives and Contextualisation

The objectives of the phonetics course are as follows:

(i) that the student can identify the acoustic and articulate characteristics of the sounds of Catalan,

in spectrograms and palatograms, respectively;

(ii) that he/she can transcribe phonetically fragments of different dialectal varieties;

(iii) that he/she can discern which phonetic properties are best suited for a formal oral

text and may master them at the practical level.

Competences

  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights, diversity and democratic values.
  • Analyse the phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic, lexical and semantic properties of the Catalan language, its evolution over time and its present structure.
  • Assess gender inequalities when acting in this field of knowledge.
  • Critically read and interpret texts.
  • Demonstrate a mastery of the rules of the Catalan language, its linguistic bases and all its application in the academic and professional fields.
  • Display teamwork skills.
  • Innovate in the methods and processes of this area of knowledge in response to the needs and wishes of society.
  • Interpret the political, social and cultural factors that affect the use of the Catalan language and its evolution over time and at the present day.
  • Produce written work and oral presentations that are effective and framed in the appropriate register.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse linguistic structures.
  2. Analyse the most problematic phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic, lexical and semantic properties of the present-day language.
  3. Analyse the principles of lexical semantics that affect the internal structure of words and their syntactic combination.
  4. Analyse the syntactic structures of simple, complex, modalised and discursively marked clauses.
  5. Apply the principles of correctness required in the standard language and the different registers and variants.
  6. Correctly identify linguistic units.
  7. Describe the articulatory characteristics of the sounds of Catalan.
  8. Describe the combinatory processes for creating linguistic units.
  9. Describe the historical evolution of the use of the Catalan language.
  10. Determine register types on the basis of phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics.
  11. Distinguish between grammatical gender and natural gender.
  12. Express oneself with orthophonic correctness in standard Catalan.
  13. Gain a greater capacity for reading, interpreting and critically analysing literary and linguistic texts.
  14. Identify and describe the processes of inflection, derivation, composition and lexicalisation.
  15. Identify causes of variation deriving from register.
  16. Identify principal and secondary ideas and express them using correct language.
  17. Identify the contexts in which historical processes are immersed.
  18. Identify the linguistic differences between the various dialectal variants of the language.
  19. Identify the origin of errors made by non-native speakers when using the language.
  20. Identify the pragmatic factors that condition the use of the various linguistic structures .
  21. Interpret texts in depth and provide standpoints from which to analyse them critically.
  22. Interpret the problem areas and factors that have conditioned the use of the Catalan language throughout history in a multicultural society.
  23. Make appropriate use of the knowledge acquired in order to collect data and handle documentary sources in the study of Catalan language and literature.
  24. Match the known internal and external properties of the language to the different conditions of use.
  25. Plan, organise and carry out work in a team.
  26. Produce normatively correct written and oral texts.
  27. Produce written work and oral presentations that are effective and framed in the appropriate register.
  28. Respect the opinions, values, behaviour and customs of others.
  29. Single out the grammatical and pragmatic factors that determine the overall interpretation of the clause.
  30. Situate oral and written Catalan texts in time and space.
  31. Troubleshoot errors made by non-native speakers when using the language.
  32. Use technological resources (digital and audiovisual) to acquire knowledge and apply it in language and literature.
  33. Work self-sufficiently on the synchronic and diachronic study of Catalan language and literature.
  34. Write text commentaries from a critical standpoint.

Content

1. Introduction. Articulatory and acoustic phonetics. Broad and narrow phonetic transcription.

2. Articulatory and acoustic properties of the sounds of the Catalan language. Vowels,

consonants, sound sequences. Implementation of phonetic and phonological processes.

Dialectal differences in the realization of sounds.

3. Prosodic features. Segmental duration, accent and intonation.

4. Ortophony and oral standard. Relationship between questions about Catalan phonetics and the

setting of the oral standard.

Methodology

The explanation of the course material will be complemented with exercises dealing with the

acoustic analysis of sounds and sound sequences with the use of the Praat program, and with

the interpretation of palatograms and lingual configurations. There will also be exercices of phonetic

transcription of  different dialectal varieties and class presentations, in which the student will have to

put into practice the knowledge acquired about the phonetic characteristics of formal elocution.

The phonetic characteristics of the oral standard will be studied and correction exercises of the students'

pronunciation will be carried out.

The calendar will be available on the first day of class. Students will find all information on the Virtual Campus:

the description of the activities, teaching materials, and any necessary information for the proper follow-up of the subject.

The teaching methodology and the evaluation proposed in the guide may undergo some modification subject to the onsite teaching restrictions imposed

by health authorities.

In case of a change of teaching modality for health reasons, teachers will make readjustments in the schedule and methodologies.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Exposition of themes and practice 63.5 2.54 24, 3, 1, 4, 2, 23, 5, 8, 9, 7, 18, 10, 11, 29, 12, 27, 6, 17, 20, 14, 19, 15, 16, 22, 21, 28, 25, 13, 26, 34, 30, 31, 33, 32
Personal study, elaboration of research works and preparation of oral presentations 74 2.96 24, 3, 1, 4, 2, 23, 5, 8, 9, 7, 18, 10, 11, 29, 12, 27, 6, 17, 20, 14, 19, 15, 16, 22, 21, 28, 25, 13, 26, 34, 30, 31, 33, 32
Type: Supervised      
Advice on research work and presentations 9 0.36 24, 3, 1, 4, 2, 23, 5, 8, 9, 7, 18, 10, 11, 29, 12, 27, 6, 17, 20, 14, 19, 15, 16, 22, 21, 28, 25, 13, 26, 34, 30, 31, 33, 32

Assessment

The assessment of the subject will be done in the following way:

(a) Delivery of a research work and exercices of phonetic transcription: 30%

(b) Oral presentation of a short research study: 10%

(c) Partial written exams: 20%.

(d) Final written exam: 40%.

The subject will considered 'assessable' when (d) has been carried out.

In order to pass the course  it will be necessary to obtain a minimum grade of 5.

The date of the tests and the deadline of the delivery of the research work

will be announced with a minimum of two weeks notice. The final exam may be performed

on a different date from the established one only when there are major reasons, which have

to be properly justified.

The student will be able to access the recovery exam when he/she gets a grade between 3.5 and 4.9.

To participate in the recovery the student must have been previously evaluated in a set of activities whose

weight is equivalent to a minimum of two thirds of the total qualification of the subject.

The recovery exam will consist of a written test

equivalent to at least 50% of the activities. The maximum grade of recovery exam is 5.

As each assessment activity is carried out, the teacher will inform the students through

the Moodle application about the procedure and the date of the review of qualifications.

In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation

in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity,

regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities

in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.

In the event that tests or exams cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made

available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework,

activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on

Teams, etc. Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Delivery of a research work and of exercices of phonetic transcription 30% 0 0 24, 3, 1, 4, 2, 23, 5, 8, 9, 7, 18, 10, 11, 29, 12, 27, 6, 17, 20, 14, 19, 15, 16, 22, 21, 28, 25, 13, 26, 34, 30, 31, 33, 32
Final written test 40% 0 0 2, 23, 33
Oral presentation in class of a short research study 10% 0.5 0.02 24, 2, 23, 5, 7, 11, 12, 27, 16, 28, 13, 26, 34, 33, 32
Partial written test 20% 3 0.12 2, 23, 27, 33

Bibliography

Bonet, Eulàlia, Maria Rosa Lloret i Joan Mascaró. 1997. Manual de transcripció fonètica. Bellaterra, Publicacions de la Universitat Autònoma.

Institut d'Estudis Catalans, Secció Filològica. 2009. Proposta per a un estàndard oral de la llengua catalana, I. Fonètica. Barcelona, Institut d'Estudis Catalans.

Prieto, Pilar. 2004. Fonètica i fonologia. Els sons del català. Barcelona, Editorial UOC.

Recasens, Daniel. 1993. Fonètica i fonologia. Barcelona, Enciclopèdia Catalana.

Recasens, Daniel. 1996. Fonètica descriptiva del català. Assaig de caracterització de la pronúncia del vocalisme i consonantisme

del català al s. XX. Barcelona, Institut d'Estudis Catalans. 2a. edició.

Recasens i Vives, Daniel. 2014. Fonètica i fonologia experimentals del català. Vocals i consonants. Barcelona, Institut d'Estudis Catalans.

This bibliography will be completed with web links to be found in the Virtul Campus.

Software

No specific software is required.