Introduction

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 553.

Theoretical Phonetics

Plan

1. The importance of Phonetics

2. Articulatory Phonetics

3. Acoustic Phonetics

4. Methods of investigation:

4.1. Method of direct observation

4.2. Instrumental method.

5. Phonology

6. Theoretical significance

7. Practical significance of Phonetics

1.

The theoretical course in English Phonetics is aimed at future teachers of English. Everybody knows that pronunciation is very important and teachers of a foreign language should be skilled for phoneticians. All language teachers are phoneticians. It is not possible, for practical purposes, to teach a foreign language to any type of learner, for any purpose, by any method, without giving some attention to pronunciation. And any attention to pronunciation is Phonetics.

What do we mean by Phonetics as a science? Phonetics is concerned with the human noises by which the thought is actualised or given audible shape: the nature of these noises, their combinations, and their functions in relation to the meaning. Phonetics studies the sound system of the language, that is segmental phonemes, word stress, syllabic structure and intonation. It is primary concerned with expression level. However, phonetics is obliged to take the content level into consideration too.

Expression level is the way we express our ideas and thoughts.

Content level is what we express.

Phonetics is itself divided into 2 major components:

1. Segmental Phonetics – which is concerned with individual sounds (i.e. “segments” of speech);

2. Suprasegmental Phonetics whose domain is the larger units of connected speech: syllables, words, phrases, texts.

Why it is so?

Because it is very important to investigate the effect which the expression unite has on meaning. No meaning can be express adequately if it has no phonetic form.

It follows from this, that Phonetics is a basic brunch of linguistics. Phonetics claims to be of equal importance with grammar and lexicology.

Phonetics has 2 main divisions:

1. on the one hand, phonology – the study of the sound patterns of languages, of how a spoken language functions as a “code”;

2. on the other hand, the study of substance, that carries the code.

2.

How a speech produced?

The production of speech is controlled by the brain. All the sounds that we pronounced are the results of certain movements of the organs speech. The movements of the organs of speech produced quit definite acoustic effects which are called sound waves. These waves reaches our ear and apperceived by it.

The speech sounds carry quite definite meaning.

Articulatory phonetics studies the way in which the air is set in motion, the movements of the speech organs and the coordination of these movements in the production of single sounds and trains of sounds.

3.

How the sounds are produced?

The brunch of phonetics which studies acoustic effects produced by the organs of speech is called Acoustic Phonetics.

Acoustic Phonetics studies the way in which the air vibrate between the mouth and listener's ear.

Acoustic phonetics presents special interest foe research work and implies linguistics. It plays constantly growing part in teaching pronunciation. The development of computing technique has given rise to all sorts of teaching programmes.

4.

Articulatory and acoustic phonetics use special methods of investigation, they may be divided:

1. Methods of direct observation

2. Instrumental methods.

Methods of direct observation are applied without any special instruments foe analyses. In this case the investigator analysis his-own speech or the speech of the informant (–is a native speaker who's speech is investigated). Using a cassette recorder doesn't mean that we use the instrumental method, we only fixe the speech. We usually observe lip and tongue movement. And a mirror is very helpful for observation.

Instrumental methods, in this case special technics are applied. e.g. we use photography, x-ray photo, cinematography (for investigating sounding process). Theoretically we might use x-ray cinematography but no one would agree to become an informant.

To investigate intonation we use special sound analysing and sound synthesizing devices.

Intonograph is used to analysing tonetion for this or that purpose.

Generally in the process of investigation this 2 methods are combined.

Articulatory investigation of speech sounds is down on the basis of Physiology and psychology.

Articulatory phonetics makes use of such instruments and devices as a hand mirror, laryngoscope, artificial palate, photography, tapes and special video films.

The acoustic brunch of phonetics investigates acoustic property of sounds. That is quantity, length, timber, intensity, pitch, temporal factrom.

The brunch of phonetics which studies the linguistic function of consonant and vowel sounds, word stress, syllabic structure and intonation is called Phonology.