APTILL 3
Certificate Course in Articulatory Phonetics, Tones and Immersive Language Learning
APTILL 3 (Articulatory Phonetics, Tones and Immersive Language Learning) is an intensive, on-site certificate programme for anyone with a genuine passion for language. Over the duration of the course, you will build a rigorous foundation in articulatory phonetics (how speech sounds are produced and transcribed), develop a trained ear for tone and its role in meaning, and discover what it actually feels like to acquire an unfamiliar language through immersion rather than textbooks.
Now in its third year, NEILAC’s flagship course returns after two successful iterations with fresh energy and newly developed course material drawn directly from the languages of Northeast India, bringing the classroom closer than ever to the living linguistic reality of the region.
The course is as practical as it is theoretical. You will not simply study languages from a distance. You will get inside them.
Northeast India’s extraordinary linguistic diversity is both the backdrop and the heartbeat of APTILL 3. Whether you are a student, an early-career researcher, an educator or a community language worker, you will leave with skills you can put to immediate use, whether in the field, in the classroom or in further academic study.
Places are limited and are awarded through an application and interview process, ensuring a cohort that is motivated, well-matched and ready to make the most of a genuinely transformative experience.
- Recognition and production of sounds of any human language
- The art of consistent phonetic and phonemic transcription
- Foundational skills in learning a new, unwritten language without the help of textbooks and written grammar.
- Processes underlying the language endangerment in NEI.
- How to make sense of what you hear in an unfamiliar language: analysing structures of words, phrases, and sentences (basic field morphology and syntax).
- Course dates: 09 – 29 July 2026.
- Application Deadline: 05 June 2026.
- Announcement of selected candidates: 12 June 2026.
- Duration of Course: 20 days.
- Intake Capacity: 10.
- Eligibility: UG/PG/PhD (Preference will be given to those learning or working with North East Indian languages, especially those in need of documentation and revitalisation).
- Mode: in-person.
- Medium of Instruction: English.
- Examination: Theory and Practical, with a certificate upon successful completion.
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Attendance: Participants are required to attend all classes and practical sessions to successfully complete the course.
Module 1: Articulatory Phonetics and Ear training.
This is a practical foundational course designed to provide learners with a thorough understanding of the mechanisms involved in speech production. Through a combination of theoretical knowledge, intensive ear training and practical exercises, participants will explore the mechanisms of speech production, including the articulation of consonants and vowels.
Module Content
- Mechanisms of speech production
- Theoretical grounding in articulatory phonetics
- Accurate transcription using IPA
- Intensive ear training with lots of practical exercises
- Training in sounds of NEI languages with our new coursebook ‘Manual of Articulatory Phonetics’ and audio resources.
Module 2: Tone
An in-depth study of how tone is produced, perceived, and encodes meaning with particular focus on the tonal complexity of Northeast Indian languages.
Module Content
- Ear Training: Intensive practical training in “hearing” tones accurately
- Learning how to produce and transcribe tones
- Practical exercises using our new coursebook ‘manual of Tones’ and audio resources based on different NEI languages
Module 3: Language Learning Methodology
This module is aimed at those who want to learn languages through community immersion. It familiarizes learners with language learning methods in natural communicative settings. The learners will have an opportunity to learn these methods by acquiring the rudiments of a real language during the course. Additionally, the students will learn effective ways to use audio recordings in language learning, emphasizing active listening, speaking practice, vocabulary acquisition, and review techniques.
Module Content
- Language learning through cultural immersion
- Challenges of learning a new language as adults
- Participatory learning continuum: Entering another culture as a learner with respect, sensitivity and resourcefulness
- Acquiring vocabulary and sentence structure: What to look for and how to obtain it.
- Practicals: Students will apply the methods taught by learning a ‘sample’ language with the help of a native speaker consultant.
Course Faculty
1. Dr Vijay D’Souza
Director, NEILAC · Tones · Phonetics · Immersive Learning
2. Dr Prarthana Acharyya
Articulatory Phonetics & Ear Training
3. Dr I D Raguibou
Tone: Perception & Production
4. Sr. Gisel Erumachadathu
Immersive Language Learning, Participatory Learning Continuum
Course Fee (Non-refundable)
Fee for Students:
- Without accommodation: ₹5,000 (Course fee only)
- With accommodation: ₹13,000 (₹400/day for food & accommodation + ₹5,000 course fee)
- With scholarship (4 seats only): ₹8,000 (₹300/day for accommodation + ₹2,000 course fee)
For Others:
- Without accommodation: ₹5,000 (Course fee only)
- With accommodation: ₹19,000 (₹700/day for food & accommodation + ₹5,000 course fee)
Important Notes:
- Accommodation is first-come, first-served, based on the order of online registration.
- Accommodation includes meals.