This course represents an introduction to the fundamentals of human speech communication, introducing aspects of physical speech production, auditory processing and psychoacoustics, and language. This interdisciplinary course covers how human thought is transmitted from the brain of a speaker to the brain of a listener. The complex interaction of acoustics, speech physiology, anatomy, neurobiology, hearing, and psychology all play integral role in human communication. The course covers the fundamentals of the physics and biology of spoken language as well as how the communication process is observed and measured.

Finally, we will learn about how technology plays a role in the speech chain, including voice communication systems, assistive technology for individuals with communication disabilities, and emerging commercial speech technologies for human-machine interface.