Teaching phonetics and speech science—What's changed and what hasn't

Abstract

Many topics in articulatory phonetics that have been taught with traditional pedagogical techniques may be enhanced by the addition of acoustic information. However, it can be challenging to provide that information in ways that are accessible to students of Speech and Hearing, who often lack a strong background in physics. The ASA Committee on Education in Acoustics has offered sessions on acoustics demonstrations for ASA members. In meeting cities, the committee has hosted sessions for high school students and has co-sponsored sessions for Girl Scouts with Women in Acoustics. These sessions have resulted in a number of straightforward, accessible demonstrations of acoustics that are appropriate for use in undergraduate phonetics and speech science courses. This presentation will describe several traditional and computer-based demonstrations that may be used to teach speech acoustics to undergraduates in Speech and Hearing.