Certificate Course on
IMMERSIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING AND ARTICULATORY PHONETICS
The “Immersive Language Learning and Articulatory Phonetics” course is a foundational program designed to cater to learners passionate about language acquisition and research, particularly within the Northeast Indian linguistic landscape. The course offered a specialized focus on Articulatory Phonetics, ear training, Language Learning Methods, and the challenges of Language Endangerment. Through intensive training in these areas, participants gained both theoretical knowledge and practical skills that are essential for engaging in language research, documentation, and revitalization initiatives.
This course was structured to provide learners with a comprehensive understanding of speech production mechanisms, tone recognition and analysis, and the intricate morphology and syntax of languages. Moreover, it placed a strong emphasis on the linguistic diversity, cultural heritage, and language preservation efforts in Northeast India. Participants were equipped not only with the skills needed for academic research but also with the tools to contribute meaningfully to the preservation of endangered languages in the region.
Prospective participants were carefully selected through an application and interview process, ensuring that those chosen were well-suited to benefit from and contribute to the course. Upon successful completion, participants left the course with a solid foundation in linguistics, ready to embark on further studies or professional work in language preservation and revitalization.
- Recognition and production of sounds of any human language
- The art of consistent phonetic and phonemic transcription
- Skills in phonemic analysis
- 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: analyzing structures of words, phrases, and sentences (basic field morphology and syntax).
- Course dates: 08 – 27 July 2024.
- Duration of Course: 20 days.
- Intake Capacity: 10.
- Application Deadline: 15 June 2024.
- Announcement of selected candidates: 20 June 2024.
- Eligibility: UG/PG/PhD.
- 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 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.
- Practicals: Intensive training in recognition, transcription, and reproduction of sounds of the IPA.
Module 2: Tone
In this module, we explore how tone is produced and perceived in different languages, covering its theoretical foundations and practical applications, and learn how to analyze and interpret tone in spoken and written language.
Module Content
- Tonal and non-tonal languages.
- Basic concept of tone.
- Intensive training in tone recognition and production.
Module 3: Language Learning Methodology
This module is aimed at those who want to learn unwritten languages. It familiarizes learners with language learning methods in natural and immersive 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
- Learning a new language as an adults
- Language learning through cultural immersion
- Acquiring vocabulary and sentence structure: What to look for and how to obtain it.
- Practicals: Students will apply the methods taught and learn the rudiments of an unfamiliar language with the help of a language consultant.
Module 4: The languages of Northeast India.
The course deals specifically with the linguistic overview, features, and typology specific to the languages of North East India. The module begins by presenting the landscape of North East India, and goes to introduce important linguistic terminologies and concepts, which are used alongside to analyze the languages of the region.
Module Content
- Introduction to the language families of India and Northeast India, Landscape.
- The lesser known or endangered languages of Northeast India
- Language, dialect, pidgin, creole, language change and variation.
- Components of a language: phonology, morphology, syntax.
- Phonology of the languages of Northeast India.
- Morphology of the languages of Northeast India.
- Sentence structure (syntax) of Northeastern languages.
- The need for language documentation, description, and revitalization.
Course Instructors
Dr. Vijay D’Souza, Dr. Prarthana Acharyya, Dr. Susie Kanshouwa, and Dr. Raguibou Daimai.