... we shall study general articulatory phonetics.
General phonetics means that we shall study all the possible speech abilities that a speaker of any language might use in their speech. In other words, we shall not just study "the sounds" of individual languages. However, we shall consider various aspects of the phonetics of English and examples from many other languages where relevant during the course. You shall learn all of the symbols of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), which is designed to be used in writing down the pronunciation of any language. We shall study various kinds of phonetic transcription, in various degrees of detail, for different purposes.
Articulatory phonetics means that we shall study the names and nature of the speaking organs and their role in speech. The symbols of the IPA are defined mostly in articulatory terms, and partly in acoustic terms.
The foundation course will conclude in Hilary Term with four classes on acoustic phonetics, and four classes on practical phonetic transcription of unfamiliar languages.
After each class, you must practise the new sounds you have learned, by saying them aloud to yourself (in a private place, I suggest). By practising, you will become more sensitive to the position and motions of the organs of speech, including those which you are not normally used to using, and their auditory effects. If you do not practise, you will probably not get the hang of the IPA properly, which will only make it seem harder.
To help you practise, there are some audio-visual resources. There is a web-based guide to the sounds of the IPA at http://web.uvic.ca/ling/resources/ipa/charts/IPAlab/IPAlab.htm. I also highly recommend the guide produced by colleagues from the University of Glasgow, at https://www.seeingspeech.ac.uk/ipa-charts/, which has MRI and Ultrasound videos of the moving articulations associated with production of the various IPA reference sounds.
The sound clips on that site are taken from a tape recording/CD made at
UCL and available from that department by mail order (details at http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/wells/cassette.htm).
A
number of recordings of words in various languages are presented in my
webpages/handouts for this course.
You cannot learn about speech solely from books and journal articles: the practical training you will receive is essential in order to really understand the phonetics literature. The study of phonetics requires direct observation as much as theory. Even so, a list of reading suggestions and references is here.
If you've studied phonetic before, then great! But please pay close attention anyway, because I'll be presenting material and ideas that you will not find in phonetics courses elsewhere. This is partly a question of "tradition", outlook, and style, and partly because in this internationally-leading research institution, I and my colleagues have discovered new facts and overturned established thinking about certain aspects of phonetics. I hope there will be something new for you every week!