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Catalan Phonetics and Prescriptive Spoken Language

Code: 105828
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Catalan Philology: Literary Studies and Linguistics OB 2

Contact lecturer

Name :
Eulàlia Bonet Alsina
Email :
eulalia.bonet@uab.cat

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

To have basic knowledge of the phonetics, phonology and morphology of the

Catalan language, and a certain mastery of the phonetic transcription technique.

Objectives

The objectives of the course are the following:

(i) that the student can identify and analyze the acoustic and articulatory properties of the sounds of Catalan, in spectrograms and palatograms, respectively;

(ii) that he/she can transcribe phonetically fragments of different dialectal varieties;

(iii) that he/she can discern which phonetic properties are best suited for a formal oral text and may master them at the practical level.

Learning outcomes

  1. Write text commentaries from a critical standpoint.
  2. Identify principal and secondary ideas and express them using correct language.
  3. Situate oral and written Catalan texts in time and space.
  4. Describe the articulatory characteristics of the sounds of Catalan.
  5. Express oneself with orthophonic correctness in standard Catalan.
  6. Identify and describe the processes of inflection, derivation, composition and lexicalisation.
  7. Analyse the syntactic structures of simple, complex, modalised and discursively marked clauses.
  8. Analyse the principles of lexical semantics that affect the internal structure of words and their syntactic combination.
  9. Match the known internal and external properties of the language to the different conditions of use.
  10. Correctly identify linguistic units.
  11. Describe the combinatory processes for creating linguistic units.
  12. Analyse linguistic structures.
  13. Identify the pragmatic factors that condition the use of the various linguistic structures .
  14. Single out the grammatical and pragmatic factors that determine the overall interpretation of the clause.
  15. Determine register types on the basis of phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics.
  16. Identify causes of variation deriving from register.
  17. Produce normatively correct written and oral texts.
  18. Analyse the most problematic phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic, lexical and semantic properties of the present-day language.
  19. Apply the principles of correctness required in the standard language and the different registers and variants.
  20. Use technological resources (digital and audiovisual) to acquire knowledge and apply it in language and literature.
  21. Identify the contexts in which historical processes are immersed.
  22. Interpret texts in depth and provide standpoints from which to analyse them critically.
  23. Produce written work and oral presentations that are effective and framed in the appropriate register.
  24. Gain a greater capacity for reading, interpreting and critically analysing literary and linguistic texts.
  25. Make appropriate use of the knowledge acquired in order to collect data and handle documentary sources in the study of Catalan language and literature.
  26. Work self-sufficiently on the synchronic and diachronic study of Catalan language and literature.
  27. Respect the opinions, values, behaviour and customs of others.
  28. Plan, organise and carry out work in a team.
  29. Identify the linguistic differences between the various dialectal variants of the language.
  30. Distinguish between grammatical gender and natural gender.
  31. Describe the historical evolution of the use of the Catalan language.
  32. Interpret the problem areas and factors that have conditioned the use of the Catalan language throughout history in a multicultural society.
  33. Identify the origin of errors made by non-native speakers when using the language.
  34. Troubleshoot errors made by non-native speakers when using the language.

Contents

1. Introduction. Articulatory and acoustic phonetics. Broad and narrow phonetic transcription.


2. Articulatory and acoustic properties of the sounds of Catalan. Vowels, consonants, sound sequences. Implementation of phonetic and phonological processes. Dialectal differences in the realization of sounds.


3. Prosodic features. Segmental duration, stress and intonation.


4. Ortophony and oral standard. Relationship between aspects of Catalan phonetics and the setting of the oral standard.

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Advice on essays and exercises 9 0.36 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34
Exposition of topics and practice in class 74 2.96 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34
Activities through Moodle 63.5 2.54 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34

The explanation of the course materials will be complemented with exercises dealing with the acoustic analysis of sounds and sound sequences with the use of the Praat program, and with the interpretation of palatograms. There will also be exercices of phonetic transcription of different dialectal varieties and class presentations, in which the student will have to put into practice the knowledge acquired about the phonetic characteristics of formal elocution.

All relevant information related to the course will be notified in class and through Moodle.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Written essay 20% 0 0 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34
In-class exercises 10% 1 0.04 2, 5, 9, 15, 17, 19, 23, 27, 28, 33, 34
Handing of oral exercises 20% 1 0.04 3, 4, 5, 9, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 25, 26, 27, 30, 33, 34
Final written test 50% 1.5 0.06 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18, 19, 22, 25, 26

The assessment of the subject will be done in the following way:

(1) Final written exam: 50%

(2) Written essay: 20%

(3) Handing of oral exercises: 20%.

(4) In-class exercises: 20%.


Single assessment:

(a) Written exam: 50%

(b) Oral exam: 50%



The subject will considered 'non assessable' when less than 30% of the assessment activities have been carried out.


The student will be able to access the recovery exam when he/she gets a grade between 3.5 and 4.8. To participate in the recovery the student must have been previously evaluated in a set of activities whose weight is equivalent to a minimum of two thirds of the total qualification of the subject. Only the final written exam can be recovered. Continuous assessement and single assessment will have the same recovery system.


The dates of assessment activities, as well as revisions, will be announced in advance in class and through Moodle.


In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject. Restrictions on the use of AI technologies will be notified whan relevant. Inappropriate use of AI in assessed activities will mean a 0 in that activity.



Bibliography

Bonet, Eulàlia, Maria Rosa Lloret i Joan Mascaró. 1997. Manual de transcripció fonètica. Bellaterra: Publicacions de la Universitat Autònoma.

Institut d'Estudis Catalans, Secció Filològica. 2009. Proposta per a un estàndard oral de la llengua catalana, I. Fonètica. Barcelona: Institut d'Estudis Catalans.

Institut d'Estudis Catalans. 2016. Gramàtica de la llengua catalana. Barcelona: Institut d'Estudis Catalans.

Prieto, Pilar. 2004. Fonètica i fonologia. Els sons del català. Barcelona: Editorial UOC.

Recasens, Daniel. 1993. Fonètica i fonologia. Barcelona: Enciclopèdia Catalana.

Recasens, Daniel. 1996. Fonètica descriptiva del català. Assaig de caracterització de la pronúncia del vocalisme i consonantisme del català al s. XX. Barcelona: Institut d'Estudis Catalans. 2a. edició.

Recasens i Vives, Daniel. 2014. Fonètica i fonologia experimentals del català. Vocals i consonants. Barcelona: Institut d'Estudis Catalans.

This bibliography will be completed with web links to be found in the Virtul Campus.

Software

Praat (https://praat.org)

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Catalan first semester morning-mixed