Speech Recording as a Mainstream Data Collection Technique for Approaching

Research Topics in Phonetics and Phonology

Abstract

The study at hand explores the technique of speech recording as an appropriate data
collection tool for approaching sounds phenomena within the fields of phonetics and
phonology. Indeed, some EFL students, especially master students, avoid tackling topics that
relate to phonetics and phonology in their master theses because of a lack of orientation as to
the appropriate tool for collecting data. Besides, other EFL students erroneously opt for a
questionnaire or an interview to tackle topics in these fields. Thus, the aim of this paper is to
prove that recording the speech of speakers of a given language or dialect is the most
appropriate technique that students may use in order to identify sounds phenomena such as
stress patterns, assimilation and intonation. This technique of data collection involves
recording speakers of a dialect or a language speaking in different settings, occasions and
situations. The collected data need to be listened to several times in order be transcribed.
Transcription is what assures a faithful and exact representation of the produced sounds. The
transcribed data need then to be examined in order to identify the targeted sound phenomenon
which could be stress pattern, intonation, assimilation or any other of the commonly
approached sounds phenomena.

Keywords: Speech recording, data collection, phonetics, phonology, master theses, EFL
students