In Lecture 3, "Sounds of Language: Phonetics" make sure to master the following:
1. Articulatory phonetics
2. The three variables (Van Gelderen calls them "features") of consonants: Voice or Voicing; Manner of articulation; Place of articulation).
These are very important. Spend time on them. You have studied them in Van Gelderen already, so this should be largely the same concepts, put in a different way. It will help you learn them.
3. Vowels. Understand height and frontness (or position).
4. What's a diphthong; an allophone.
5. Nasalization. In English vowels become nasalized only before a nasal consonant.
(French has nasalized vowels without nasal consonants -- hard for English speakers to master!)
Write 150+ words answering the 2 questions on p. 27, about 80 words on each.
In Lecture 4, "Sound and Meaning: Phonology",
1. Be sure you understand the difference between phonetics and phonology.
2. Study the examples of phonological rules in English (and some other languages) on pp. 26-7.
3. Assimilation and Dissimilation. Remember the examples here.
4. Segment insertion and deletion. More "rules" of English that you have been using all your life but (probably) did not know about or understand.
5. Metathesis. Study these examples.
Here's another one: British speakers often pronounce the word "creative" as "curative". Another "very normal sound-change process" -- metathesis!
Write 150+ words to answer the two questions on p. 33. But mainly: make sure you understand the material in this lecture!
Email to me and to your group. ONE email!