incorporating sustainability into the (clinical) phonetics classroom

AASHE 2011, Pittsburg

Incorporating sustainability into the (clinical) phonetics classroom

Jessica A Barlow

What is phonetics?

• Core area of linguistic study focusing on human speech sounds

• Emphasis on the physical properties of speech production, e.g.:– articulatory– acoustic– auditory/perceptual

Applied phonetics

• Acting• Espionage• Foreign language teaching• Speech-language pathology – clinical phonetics– critical ‘knowledge and skills’ area for

understanding, evaluating, diagnosing, and treating individuals with speech disorders

Clinical phonetics

• Speech disorders affect approximately 10% of US population – ~80% require intervention

• Within the schools, children with speech disorders make up ~99% of school SLP caseloads – many co-occur with other impairments

(NIDCD, 1994)

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)

• Accrediting body for certification of speech-language pathologists (SLPs)

• All accredited programs must satisfy specific standards related to Knowledge and Skills Acquisition (KASA Standards)

• Many of these standards are included in the upper-division undergraduate curriculum

Losing sight of the bigger picture

• Undergraduate education is about educating the whole person, the future citizens of the planet

• Because of obligations to accreditation standards, many speech-language-hearing programs neglect this critically important component of their undergraduate curricula

The change

• Connecting to place, people, and community• Asking a new set of questions– What happened?– Why? How?– What does this mean?

Some ways to create a sustainability-related (phonetics) course

• Hidden curriculum• New readings• New assignments• New (or revamped) units or modules• New student projects

(adapted from Barlett & Chase, p.c.)

Learning unit:Learning the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)Extension: Learning something extra about sustainability practices on campus

Connecting with place using hidden curriculum: IPA Scavenger Hunt

1. zɪpkɑr loʊkeɪʃən2. ɛl i i di plætɪnəm

æztɛk studənt junjən

3. ɛs di ɛs ju fɑrmɚz mɑrkət

4. baɪk leɪnz5. trænzɪt steɪʃən6. ɛs di ɛs ju risaɪklɪŋ

sɛntɚ

Revamped modules:Language, dialect, and social identity

• Learning unit: understanding dialect variation• A connection to place: Regional dialects– A common way of talking to refer to a shared

place• A connection to people: Socio-cultural dialects– A common way of talking to refer to shared

experiences

Connecting with people using a new assignment: Language, dialect, and social identity

• Linguistic biography of a classmate and linguistic autobiography

• Aim: get students thinking about language use• Extension: help students recognize the

different experiences and viewpoints about language among their classmates

Language, dialect, and social identity:Do You Speak American? (PBS series)

Part 1: “Up North”Part 2: “Down South”Part 3: “Out West”

http://www.pbs.org/speak/

My motto

You sound funny to someone, somewhere.

Connecting with the community: SDSU’s Common Experience

• 2011-12 theme: “Science, Ethics, and Moral Courage”

• Common reading: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot

• Book features excellent examples of African American English Vernacular (Ebonics)

http://CommonExperience.sdsu.edu

Connecting with place using a new assignment: Comparison of Spanish and English

• Learning unit: Transcribing and comparing pronunciations in English and (Mex.) Spanish– Ex:

San Diego [sæn dijeɪgoʊ] vs. [san djeɣo]Tijuana [tʰiəwɑnə] vs. [tixwana]tecolote [tʰɛkəloʊɾi] vs. [tekolote]

Connecting with place using a new assignment: Comparison of Spanish and English

• Extensions: Spanish and English in the US– Where did these names come from?– Why are there so many Spanish names?– How long has Spanish been spoken in the US?– Is the English language threatened?

New unit: Language death and linguistic diversity

• Films, podcasts, videos, discussions, and readings on dead and dying languages and the associated consequences

• Learning unit: Sounds of the world’s languages (e.g., clicks and other exotic sounds)

• Extension: The importance of linguistic diversity and the consequences of language death– Where did they go? Why? What happens when a

language dies?

Language death and linguistic diversity: The Linguists (film)

http://www.pbs.org/thelinguists/

Connecting with place using a new student project: Language death and linguistic diversity

• Research a dying language in the US– Learning unit: Sounds of the world’s languages– Extension: Learn about a specific example of an

endangered language and its speakers (location, number of speakers, revitalization efforts)

http://www.unesco.org

The results?

• Currently in the second year since course change

• Observations of student learning:– Subjective: More meaningful connections with the

material, emotionally and intellectually– Objective: Performance is as good as or better on

the core areas of phonetics

Challenges

• Defining (and measuring) specific outcomes that relate to sustainability

• Wanting to do too much at once

QUESTIONS?Thank you!

Contact: jessica.barlow@sdsu.edu

Relevant KASA Standards• Standard III-B: The applicant must demonstrate knowledge of basic

human communication and swallowing processes, including their biological, neurological, acoustic, psychological, developmental, and linguistic and cultural bases.

• Standard III-C: The applicant must demonstrate knowledge of the nature of speech, language, hearing, and communication disorders and differences and swallowing disorders, including the etiologies, characteristics, anatomical/physiological, acoustic, psychological, developmental, and linguistic and cultural correlates. Specific knowledge must be demonstrated in the following areas: articulation, …

2005 Standards and Implementation Procedures for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology, Revised 2009

Nine core areas of SLP scope of practice

1. articulation 2. fluency 3. voice and resonance, including respiration and phonation4. receptive and expressive language (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics,

and pragmatics) in speaking, listening, reading, writing, and manual modalities 5. hearing, including the impact on speech and language 6. swallowing (oral, pharyngeal, esophageal, and related functions, including oral

function for feeding; orofacial myofunction) 7. cognitive aspects of communication (attention, memory, sequencing, problem-

solving, executive functioning) 8. social aspects of communication (including challenging behavior, ineffective

social skills, lack of communication opportunities) 9. communication modalities (including oral, manual, augmentative, and

alternative communication techniques and assistive technologies)

2005 Standards and Implementation Procedures for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology, Revised 2009

Side note:Why the IPA is better than spelling

• English ‘e’ is ‘i’ in most other languages, while ‘a’ is ‘e’

• Compare: to, too, two, through, threw, clue, shoe

• Compare: food, foot• Compare: ether and either, or thigh and thy