A Phonetics Workbook for Students ─ Building a Foundation for Transcription

Understanding how sounds form—and how sounds combine to create words— is imperative to learning how to transcribe speech phonetically. Taking a "meta" approach, A Phonetics Workbook for Students by Heidi Harbers prepares students to transcribe speech phonetically by helping them become aware of the sounds of English phonology. Following a systematic, learning-friendly organization, chapter’s progress from awareness of sounds, to articulatory phonetics and IPA symbols, to transcription. Unlike other workbooks, its exercises are varied and challenging and develop both foundational and critical thinking skills. By teaching students how to develop both an ear and eye for phonetics, the workbook provides a superior foundation from which transcription skills can develop.

Heidi Harbers is an associate professor in the department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. She teaches courses in clinical phonetics, speech sound disorders, written language development , school-age language disorders, and early intervention. Her clinical and research interests include phonological awareness and literacy skills in preschool and school-age children with and without communication disorders as well as efficacy in phonological intervention. She has presented her clinical research at state, national and international conferences. Prior to joining the faculty at ISU, Harbers taught at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.