Development is proposed of a course in acoustic phonetics to be based on use of a low-cost speech synthesis/analysis system for personal computers. The general availability of fast, high-capacity personal computers, and the ease with which they can be coupled to specialized signal processing devices for speech research, allows the course to incorporate and exploit the computing power now central to the scientific study of speech. A successful course of this kind, employing computer graphics as an aid, would prepare advanced students for use of a sophisticated research tool, and might offer added motivation and interest leading students to consider careers in speech research.
