Brief description
The module will start off by introducing students to German phonetics and some basic issues in German phonology. One aim of the first section of the course is to improve students' pronunciation, another aim is to help them develop a better understanding of the structure of German.

In the second section of the module students will be introduced to some of the major dimensions along which the German language varies and will be helped to develop a better understanding of the role of variation in German, and the relationship between variation and social factors. It will also enhance students' knowledge of linguistics as a science more generally. This module is a prerequisite for GE30420: Language and Society in the German-speaking Countries.

Learning outcomes
By the end of this course students will be able to read phonetic and phonemic transcriptions in IPA and will be able to make phonetic and phonemic transcriptions of German. They will be familiar with basic phonetic and phonological categories and will have a better understanding of the structure of the German sound system. They will also be aware of variation in German and be able to relate it to its extra-linguistic correlates and will be able to identify and characterise major regional/situative varieties of German. By writing an essay on a topic not covered in class, the students will learn how to carry out independent research. In addition they will learn to analyse what they have read, to structure it cohesively and coherently and to express themselves in a suitable register. The oral presentation fosters team-skills and oral expression.

Module outline
One aim of the first section of the course is to improve students' pronunciation, another aim is to help them develop a better understanding of the structure of German.

Section One

Course Outline

1. Phoneme Theory
Phoneme (phonemic transcription), allophone (phonetic transcription), phonetic similarity, distinctive function, commutation, minimal pairs, phoneme inventory, complementary distribution, free variation, conditioned variation.

2. Sound Description
The parts of the vocal tract, places of articulation, manners of articulation, vowel vs. consonant, vowel diagram, three main parameters for consonant description.

3. German Sounds
The consonant system of German: three -label description for each phoneme.
The vowel system of German: the place of each phoneme in a vowel diagram.

4. Connected Speech
Intonation, assimilation, deletion, weak forms.

Section Two

Course Outline

1. What is German? How do we distinguish languages from dialects?

2. Along what dimensions does German vary (written / spoken; age; social class; geography; formality / informality, etc.)

3. What is register? Register variation in German.

4. Regional variation in German: how is it related to register variation?

5. General tendencies in modern German, e.g. borrowing from Anglo-American.