If I received a research grant for a study on Korean linguistics, I would most likely investigate the large contrast in consonants. More specifically, differences between neutral consonants, aspirated consonants and tense consonants. From class, we would likely see components of the anatomy we learned, such as whether the obstruent is done through laryngeal tension or pharyngeal tension. Most of the study would use concepts from what we learn about phonology, as it studies one of the bases of speech unit and pronunciation. One example would be the level of obstruction between each consonant, and whether each consonant qualifies as a fricative or an affricate.
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Hey Danna––
Though I didn't write about this in my post, I also find Korean consonants to be piquing. Though Korean's alphabet and pronunciation seem pretty straightforward, there are some nuances that aren't really expressed in the romanized versions of words and characters, so I would also be interested in what constitutes some consonants as one type of sound vs. another.