This course provides an introductory overview of phonetics. Its focus is how language sounds are described as a reflection of the structure of the human mind. The following topics are covered: articulation, phonetic transcription, English vowels and consonants, suprasegmental features.

Introduction to Phonetics aims to: 1. Enable a better understanding of the production of English sounds and thus help the students be more proficient in their pronunciation of English. 2. Provide a good background for students interested in taking further linguistics courses, courses in Teaching English as Foreign Language, language pathology, communication studies, or other related courses. 3. Give the students an opportunity to discover more about the workings of the human mind and the ways in which human thought and language interact. 4. Develop the students’ analytical skills and encourage precision and accuracy in the study of speech.

A Course in Phonetics by Peter Ladefoged, 6th ed.