Learn Phonological Theory: A Self-Study Curriculum

This curriculum introduces you to the discipline of phonology, the study of sound patterns in language. You will learn in depth the generative theory of phonology, which seeks to characterize and explain the tacit knowledge of language that allows speakers of a language to produce words and utterances which conform to th

You will be introduced to a broad range of the sound patterns that a theory of phonology must explain. You'll also learn the various, often competing, theoretical frameworks which have been developed to account for these patterns. By reading and solving phonological problems, you will become familiar with the debates and proposals that characterize contemporary phonological research.

The curriculum consists of twelve modules, which can be studied at your own pace. But, be warned, each module represents a crucial concept which will likely take time to absorb. When I work with students, we typically spend a month on each.

• Module 1: Phonology as a Cognitive Science
• Module 2: Phonological Rules and Representations
• Module 3: Phonological Alternations
• Module 4: Opacity and Rule Ordering
• Module 5: Phonological Constraints
• Module 5: Markedness
• Module 6: Autosegmental Phonology
• Module 7: Underspecification
• Module 8: Tone
• Module 9: Syllable Structure
• Module 10: Metrical Phonology
• Module 11: The Phonetics-Phonology Relationship
• Module 12: Optimality Theory

If you'd like to study this with me, check out my Altminster profile.