The course provides a basic introduction to general phonetics and is mandatory for choral students. The course is taught jointly to students on the bachelor programme in conducting and the bachelor programme in music performance –classical, voice.
Learning objectives
On completion of this course, the student is expected to
- be able to use phonetic terminology and the international phonetic alphabet (IPA)
Overview
Topics covered
- introduction to articulatory, auditory and acoustic aspects of speech and song
- introduction to the physiology of the speech organs and descriptions of various vowel and consonant classifications
- introduction to the use of phonetic dictionaries
- reading transcribed texts (phonetic script)
- transcription of text from the vocal repertoire
- introduction to the difference between pronunciation in song and speech
- performing songs in different languages
Structure
The tuition is given jointly in groups for students on the bachelor programme in conducting and the bachelor programme in music performance –classical, voice.
The course involves
- lectures
- demonstrations
- imitation exercises
- performances of songs and arias followed by the students’ reflection on the performances
- written exercises
In addition to supervision by the tutor, the student may also use audio recordings to aid them in their self-study.
At the start of the semester the student should select one song/aria from the classical voice repertoire. The song forms the basis for their work on the different topics covered on the course. The students should choose different languages for their songs.
For a summary of indicative workload and structure, pleasesee the “Structure” section of the relevant programme of study.
The students are automatically registered for tuition/supervision and assessment in the subject in line with the progression set out in the individual education plan.
Course requirements
- Attendance is mandatory in lessons with student presentations. The semester schedule will state which lessons they are
- The student should transcribe their chosen song to phonetic script. The transcription must be approved by the course tutor at the end of thesemester.
- The student should perform their chosen song to the class. The performance should be scheduled in consultation with the course tutor.
- The student should prepare an oral presentation on a topic set by the course tutor linked to the song the student is working on. The performance should be scheduled in consultation with the course tutor.
Final assessment
All course requirements must be met before the student can be given a final assessment.
The assessment is based on the learning objectives for the course. The course is assessed on a pass or fail basis by the course tutor in the form of an individual evaluation of the student’s level of attainment.
New assessment
In the case of re-assessment, the same procedures apply.