Taught Courses

 

The University of Jordan
Faculty of Foreign Languages
Department of English Language and Literature
2201921 Phonological Theory
Prof. Radwan Mahadin

Course Description: This course, assuming familiarity with the basic of phonological description and generative phonology (distinctive features, natural classes, alternations, levels of representation ,rule formulation ,and rule ordering) deals with recent developments in phonological theory, with particular attention to syllable structure and moraic theory, the prosodic hierarchy, metrical phonology (properties of stress foot typology ,etc. )and other nonlinear models of phonological representation, including auto- segmental and optimality approaches . 
Books required:
1. Roca, Iggy, and Johnson, Wyn.1999.A Course in Phonology. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.
2. Kenstowicz, Michael.1994.Phonology in Generative Grammar. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.
3. Odden, David .Introducing Phonology.2005.Cambridge: CUP.
4. Kager.R.1999.Optimality Theory. Cambridge: CUP.
5. Archangeli,D and Langendoen,T.1997Optimality Theory :An Overviewe.Oxford: Blackwell,
Books recommended
1. McCarthy, John.2002.A Thematic Guide to Optimality Theory. Cambridge: CUP.
2. Lubowics, Anna.2012.The Phonology of Contrast. Equinox.
3. Spencer, A.1996.Phonology.Oxford: Blackwell.
4. Katamba, F. An Introduction to Phonology. New York: Longman.

Topics to be covered
.General introduction: phonetics and phonology
.Phonological rules and representation
.Phonological alternations and derivations
.The syllable and syllabification
.The Phonological skeleton
.Distinctive features and related issues
.Phonological Processes
.Autosegmental Phonology
.Optimalty
.Selected problems
Evalution:
Midterm    30%
Presentation 15%
Term paper 15%
Final 4o%

 

 

Prof.Radwan Mahadin                                                                                      Course: 2201981 Seminar in Linguistics, Arabic Phonology
University of Jordan                                                                                              PhD. in Linguistics
2201981 Seminar in Linguistics (3 credit hours)
This course discusses one topic in the broad field of Linguistics which has not been the central concern of any course in this study plan. Upon the discretion of the professor, the topic is selected provided that it falls within his/her narrow field of specialization and on the condition that it would introduce a new field of study or offer a new set of skills. Examples of such topics might be: Cognitive Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Corpus Linguistics, Anthropological Linguistics; Acoustic Phonetics, History of Linguistics, Computer-Assisted Research Methods, etc.
Course Goals:
  This seminar has two goals: to bring everyone up to speed on recent developments in modern phonological theories and approaches (non-linear phonology and related issues and optimality theory) and to advance the participant's work on Arabic phonology using the most recent developments in phonology. To that end, everyone will suggest several topics and a reading list on such topics that we will read together .The readings (articles and books) can be classic or recent publication. Everyone will present their work regularly and give feedback on everyone else's research. We will start by reading a few papers on Arabic phonology, but the rest of the content depends on the participants. In short, the course deals with current topics in phonological theory and the data that will be used is from different varieties of Arabic. 
Evaluation:
Presentation:  20 points
Assignments: 20 points
Class discussion: 20 points
Research paper: 40 points
                                                                                  Good luck

 

The University of Jordan
Faculty of Foreign Language
Department of English Language and Literature
PhD in Linguistics, Program code (014)
Course number and title:( 2201981) Seminar in Linguistics, Arabic Phonology – Three credit hours
Prof. Radwan Mahadin

Course Description:
(2201981) Seminar in Linguistics (3 credit hours). This course discusses one topic in the broad field of Linguistics which has not been the central concern of any course in this study plan. Upon the discretion of the professor, the topic is selected provided that it falls within his/her narrow field of specialization and on the condition that it would introduce a new field of study or offer a new set of skills. Examples of such topics might be: Cognitive Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Corpus Linguistics, Anthropological Linguistics, Acoustic Phonetics, History of Linguistics, Computer-Assisted Research Methods, etc.
Course Goals:
  This seminar has two goals: to bring everyone up to speed on recent developments in modern phonological theories and approaches (non-linear phonology and related issues and optimality theory) and to advance the participant's work on Arabic phonology using the most recent developments in phonology. To that end, everyone will suggest several topics and a reading list on such topics that we will read together. The readings (articles and books) can be classic or recent publication. Everyone will present their work regularly and give feedback on everyone else's research. We will start by reading a few papers on Arabic phonology, but the rest of the content depends on the participants. In short, the course deals with current topics in phonological theory and the data that will be used is from different varieties of Arabic.
  Course aims and outcomes:
Aims:
-To give graduate students the basic foundation in Araic phonological data, typology and the major phonological theories/approaches: linear and nonlinear approaches such as classical and generative approaches (autosegmental and optimality).
-To present a cross- linguistic survey of prominent phonological patterns, including data from different sources.
- To survey phonological theories from SPE through OT focusing on the phonological models of representations based on Arabic data.
-To provide detailed phonological analysis to phonological phenomena and processes in Arabic
-To state generalizations in set data using Arabic data.
-To carry carry out own research in Arabic phonology.
-To gain exposure to scholarly work in Arabic phonology.
-To use Arabic data in linguistic argumentation to illustrate theoretical issues.
-To acquire and demonstrate more specialized knowledge and understanding of the subject of phonology.
-To describe, analyze and apply knowledge about the sound system of Arabic.
Intended Learning outcomes (ILOs): upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
-understand of how sounds are used in a language and language for encoding information and how sound system differ from one language to another.
-understand terms and concepts that are important for understanding an evaluating current and past literature in phonology.
-state generalizations present in set data.
-provide detailed phonological analysis to phonological phenomena.
-account for phonological patterns through the application of rules and constraints.
-identify different types of phonological processes.
-understand and use the basic principles and techniques of phonological analysis (linear and nonlinear phonology) and apply them in analyzing natural data from natural languages.
Suggested works

Abd-El-Jawad, H. and Abu-Salim, I. (1987). Slips of the Tongue in Arabic and their Theoretical Implications, Language Sciences, 9(2), 145-171
Abdo, D. (1969). Stress and Arabic Phonology. PhD Dissertation, University of Illinois.
 Abu-Abbas, K. (2012), Topics in the Phonology of Jordanian Arabic. Germany: Lap Lambert Academic Publishing.
Abu-Salim, I. (1980), Epenthesis and Geminate Consonants in Palestinian Arabic. Studies in the Linguistic Science, 10 (2), 1-12.
Abu-Salim, I. (1988). On the Phonological Status of /ʔ/ in Classical Arabic, Al-Abhath, 36, 71-80
Abu-Shunnar, M. and Mahadin, R. (2017). An Autosegmental Analysis of Arabic Passive Participle of Trilateral Verbs, Arab World English Journal, 8(2), 252-262
Abwaini, H. (2002). Phonological Processes of Arabic-Speaking Children with Speech Impairment. Unpublished MA Thesis. Yarmouk University, Jordan.
Al- Mashaqba, B. (2015), The Phonology and Morphology of Wadi Ramm Arabic.     Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of Salford
Al-Jarrah, R. (2002), An Optimality-Theoretic Analysis of Stress in the English of Native Arabic Speakers. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana.
Al-Jarrah, R. (2008), Interaction of Weight Effects with Extrametricality in Cairene Arabic: A Constraint-Based Analysis. Jordan Journal of Modern Languages and Literarure, 1(1), 40-58.
Amayreh, M. M., & Dyson, A. T. (1998), The Acquisition of Arabic Consonants. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 41: 642–653.
Archangeli, D., & Langendoen, D.T. (1997), Optimality Theory: An Overview. Massachusetts: Blackwell Publisher Inc.
Berg, T. and Abd-El-Jawad, H. (1996). The Unfolding of Suprasegmental Representations: A Cross-linguistic perspective, Journal of Linguistics, 32, 291-324
Brame, M. (1970). Arabic Phonology: Implications for Phonological Theory and Historical Semitic. PhD Dissertation, M.I.T.
David, S. and Zawaydeh, B. (2001). Arabic Hypocoristics and the Status of the Consonantal Root. Linguistic Inquiry, 32, 512-520
Davis, Stuart (1995). Emphasis Spread in Arabic and Grounded Phonology. Linguistic Inquiry, 26.  3: 465-498.
Dinnsen, D., & Gierut, J. (2008), Optimality Theory, Phonological Acquisition and Disorders. UK: Equinox Publishing Ltd.
El-Badarin, M. (1994), Some Phonological Aspects of Bani Sakher Dialect. Abhath Al-Yarmouk, 12(1), 9-23.
 Elramli, Yousef (2012). Assimilation in the phonology of a Libyan Arabic Dialect: a Contraint- Based approach. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Newcastle University.
Feehan, C. (2016), An Optimaility Theoretic Approach to Child Language Acquisition. Linguistic Portfolios, 5.
 Frisch, S and Zawaydeh, B. (2001). The Psychological Reality of OCP-Place in Arabic. Language, 77, 91-106
 Gierut, J. A. (2008). Phonological Disorders and the Developmental Phonology Archive. In Dinnsen, D. A., & Gierut, J. A. (Eds.), Optimality Theory, Phonological Acquisition and Disorders (pp. 37- 92), London: Equinox Publishing Ltd.
Greenberg, J. (1950). The Patterning of Root Morphemes in Semitic. Word, 6. 162-181
Halle, M.  (1995). Feature Geometry and Feature Spreading. Linguistic Inquiry. 26, 1.
Herzallah, R. S. (1990). Aspects of Palestinian Arabic Phonology: A Non-Linear Approach.  Unpublished Doctoral dissertation. Cornell University.
Huneety, A. (2015), The Phonology and Morphology of Wadi Mousa Arabic. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of Salford.
Irshied, O. (1984), The Phonology of Arabic: Bani-Hasan- A Bedouin Jordanian Dialect. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of Illinois, Urbana.
Jaber, M. and Mahadin, R. (2018). OT Analysis of Tri-consonantal Imperative verbs in Standard Arabic. Jordan Journal of Modern Languages and Literature, 9(2), 187-203
Levy, M. (1971). The Plural of the Noun in Modern Standard Arabic. PhD Dissertatio, University of Michigan
Mahadin, R. (1982). The Morphophonemics of Standard Arabic tri-consonantal verbs. PhD Dissertation, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Mahadin, R. (1991). The Arabic Vowel Phonemes Reconsidered Al-Abhath, American University of Beirut, 39, 73-88
Mahadin, R. (1994). An X-Skeleton of some Phonological processes in Arabic. Al-Abhath, American University of Beirut, 42, 49-95
Mahadin, R. (1996). Phonemic Representation of Long Vowels in Arabic. Language Forum: journal of Language and Literature, 22(1-2), 41-62
Mahadin, R. and El-Yasin, M. (1998). Identity of Vowel Length in Arabic: an Autosegmental Analysis. Damascus Univerity Journal, 14(13), 59-92
 Mahadin, R., & Bader, Y. (1996). Emphasis Assimilation Spread in Arabic and Feature Geometry of Emphatic Consonants. Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 12(2), 17-52.
McCarthy, J and Prince, A (1993), Prosodic Morphology: Constraint Interaction and Satisfaction (Report). New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Center for Cognitive Science.
McCarthy, J. (1979). Formal problems in Semitic Phonology and Morphology. PhD Dissertation, MIT, Cambridge
McCarthy, J. (1981). A Prosodic Theory of Nonconcatenative Morphology. Linguistic Inquiry, 12, 373-418                         
McCarthy, J. (1988). Features Geometry and Dependency: A review. Phonetica, 45: 84-108.
McCarthy, J. (2004), Optimality Theory in phonology. Blackwell: Malden, USA.
McCarthy, J. (2007), What is Optimality Theory? Linguistics Department Faculty Publication Series, 93: 1-28.
 McCarthy, J. (2008). Doing Optimality. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Otoom, A. (2013). An Optimality-Theoretic Account of Phonological Disorders of Jordanian Children. Unpublished MA Thesis. Yarmouk University, Jordan.
Prunet, J. (2006). External Evidence and the Semitic Root. Morphology, 16, 41-67
Prunet, J., Beland, R. and Idrissi, A. (2000). The Mental Representatio of Semitic Words. Linguistic Inquiry, 32,609-648
Rakhieh, B. A. (2009). The phonology of Maᶜani Arabic: Stratal or Parallel OT (Ph.D. dissertation). University of Essex, Colchester, UK.
Rosenthall, S. (2006). Glide Distribution in Classical Arabic Verb Stems. Linguistic Inquiry. 37(3), 405-440
Sakarna, A. (1999), Phonological Aspects of 9abady Arabic, A Bedouin Jordanian Dialect. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Watson, J. (2002). The Phonology and Morphology of Arabic. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Wright, W. and Caspari, C. (2011). A Grammar f the Arabic Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Yaseen M. and Mahadin, R. (2018). An Optimality Analysis and Treatment of Phonological Disorders in the Speech of Jordanian Children: A Case Study. International Journal of linguistics, vol. 10. No. 5, 2018:1-20.
Yun, S. (2007). Phonological patterns of the Glides in Arabic. Korean Journal of Linguistics, 32(4), 653-690
Zawaydeh, B. and Davis, S. (1999). Hypocoristic Formation in Ammani-Jordanian Arabic. Perspectives on Arabic Linguistics, 12, Elabbas Benmamoun(ed.), 113-139. Philadelphia: John Benjamins .

Published articles: Radwan Mahadin

• "More on Diglossia." Damascus University Journal, 1986:11-20
• "Analogic Change." Language Sciences, vol. 9/12, 1987: 173-183.
"The Fallacy of Discontinuous Morphemes in Semitics: Evidence from Arabic." Arab Journal for the Humanities, vol. 6/23, 1986: 349-359. 
• "On Ablaut in Tri-consonantal Verbs in Arabic." Arab Journal for the Humanities, 6/28, 1987: 325-336.
• "Classical Arabic and Dialects." Damascus University Journal 1987
• "Doublets in Arabic: Notes towards a Diachronic Phonological Study." Proceedings of the Eleventh International Congress of Phonetic Sciences, vol. 2/1987: 397-399, Published by Academy of Sciences of the Estonian S.S.R.
• "Doublets in Arabic: Notes towards a Diachronic Phonological Study." Language Sciences, vol. 2/1, 1989: 1-25.
• "Arabic Doubly Weak Verbs." Damascus University Journal, vol. 11, 1987:13-37.
• "The Arabic Vowel Phonemes Reconsidered." Al Abhath, American University of Beirut. Vol. 39, 1991: 73-88.
• "Phonemic Representation of Long Vowels in Arabic." Language Forum: Journal of Language and Literature, vol. 22/1-2, 1996: 41-62.
• "On the History of Labio-dental Fricative Paradigmatic Alternations in English." Language Research, vol. 31/2, 1995: 335-355.
• "Analogy Analogical Creation, and Analogical Change." Um Al-Qura University Journal, vol. 11, 1995: 19-50.
• "Perspectives on the Traditional Arab Grammarians' Description of the /q/ sound." Zal, Journal of Arabic Linguistics, Germany, vol. 34, 1997: 31-52.
• "An X-Skeleton of Some Phonological Processes in Arabic." Al-Abhath, American University of Beirut, vol. 42, 1994: 49-95.
• "On the Pragmatics of Shop Signs in Jordan." Coauthored with Dr. M. El-Yasin, Pragmatics, vol. 26, 1996: 407-416.
• "Arabic Borrowings and Code-Switches in the Speech of English Native Speakers Living in Jordan." Coauthored with Dr. Y. Bader, Multilingual, vol. 15/1, 1996: 35-53.
• "Identity of Vowel Length in Arabic: An Autosegmental Analysis." Coauthored with Dr. M. El-Yasin, Damascus University Journal, vol. 14/13, 1998: 59-92.
• "Emphasis Assimilation Spread in Arabic and Feature Geometry of Emphatic Consonants."  Journal of United Arab Emirates University, vol. 12/2, 1996: 17-50.
• "Patterns of Reinterpretation of Word Formation of Arabized Words." Language Research, vol. 32/2, 1996: 327-349.
• "The Phonetic Realizations of the Quiescent [n] in Classical Arabic.” International Journal of Islamic and Arabic Studies, vol.16, 1999.
• "The Pragmatic Function of Intonation in Irbid Dialect". International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, vol.1, No, 2011:243-251.
• "Perspective on Acronyms in English and Arabic." Arab Journal for the Humanities, vol.29, 2011:221-238.
• "The Distinctive Function of Request Contour in a Jordanian Dialect” International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, vol.1, No.20, 2011:170-175.
•      "Phonological Processes in Algerian Arabic as Spoken in Mostaganem: An Optimality Perspective "The International Institute for Science, Technology and Education (IISTE), vol.3, No.14, 2013:85-100.
•  “Difficulties and strategies in Translating Collocations in BBC Political Texts”, Coauthored with Khetam Sharaideh, Arab World English Journal (AWEJ), vol.6, No.3,2015:320 357.
• “The acquisition of the English Plural Morpheme and the Regular Past Tense Morpheme by Arabic-Speaking Students in Jordan” Coauthered with Redab Janaideh,International Review of Social Sciences,Vol.3, No.11,2015:505-527.
• “The Use of Interpersonal Discourse Markers by Students of English at the University of Jordan” Coauthered with Eman Ali, Arab World English Journal (AWEJ), Volume 6. Number 4. December, 2015:306-319.
• The use of Textual Discourse Markers by students of English at The University of Jordan, coauthored with Eman Ali, British Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, Vol.14, No. 1, Febraury,2016 :95-108.
• The use of Discourse Markers in Written Discourse by Students of English at The University of Jordan, Coauthored with Emani Ali, International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, Vol.6, No.3, March 2016:23-35.
• “Noun Diminutive Formation in Algerian Arabic as Used in Jijel: An Optimality Analysis “Coauthored with Samia Azieb, International Journal of Humanities and social Science, Vol.5, No.12, December,2015:148-157. 
      University of Jordan” coauthored with Eman Ali, Intrnational Journal of Humanities and Social Science, Vol. 6, No, March, 2016:23-35.
• “An Autosegmental Analysis of Arabic Passive Participle of Trilateral Verbs” coauthored with Majd S. Abushunar, Arab World English Journal (AWEJ), Vol. 8, No .2, June, 2107:252-262.
• “OT Analysis of Tri-consonantal Imperative Verbs in Standard Arabic.” coauthored with Maisa Jaber, Jordan Journal of Modern Language & Literature (JJMLL), vol. 9, No. 2, 2017:197-213.
• “An Optimality Analysis of Syllable-based Processes in the Speech of Normal Algerian Arabic-Speaking Children.” Coauthored with Samia Azieb, Jordanian Educational Journal Vol.3. No. 3, 2018:27-47.
• “Stress Patterns in Bani Sakhar Arabic in Jordan: An Optimality Theory Perspective.”  Coauthored with Doa’ .AL-Momani, Jordanian Educational Journal, Vol.3. No .3,2018:48 -72.
• “An Optimality Analysis and Treatment of Phonological Disorders in the Speech of Jordanian Children: A Case Study “Coauthored with Maha Yaseen, International Journal of Linguistics, vol. 10. No. 5, 2018:1-20.
• . “Assimilation in Jerash Falla: ħi Dialect: A Non –Linear Analysis” Coauthored with   Muneera Jaradat, Jordanian Educational Journal, Vol. 3. No.3, 2018:1-26.
• Disagreement Realization in Arabic: Evidence from Jordan, Coauthored with Hadi Hamdan, accepted for publication in Pragmatics and Society
• An Optimality Analysis of the Morphophonemic Development of Triconsonantal Verbs of Normal Jordanian Speaking Children, coauthored with Majd Abushunar, Accepted for publication in International Journal of Linguistics.

Teaching Methods
Lecturing, discussion and presentation by the students

Evaluation:
Presentation:  20 points
Assignments: 20 points
Class discussion: 20 points
Research paper: 40 points
                                                                                  Good luck