Introduction to Phonetics, Sound Production & Articulatory Description

Introduction to Pronunciation and Phonetics

Understanding Pronunciation

• The lesson begins with an introduction to pronunciation and phonetics, focusing on how sounds are produced and described.

• Pronunciation is defined as the way words and sentences are articulated in a specific language, emphasizing its importance in English.

• Variations in pronunciation can lead to misunderstandings between speakers from different regions or social backgrounds.

Accents and Their Impact

• The course highlights that accents vary significantly among English speakers based on geographical location, social class, and education level.

• Examples include differences between Thai and Japanese speakers of English, illustrating the global diversity of English accents.

World Englishes: A Global Perspective

Importance of Understanding Accents

• The concept of "World Englishes" is introduced, indicating that people worldwide speak English with unique accents.

• The course will focus on two standard accents: General American English and Received Pronunciation (British English).

Relationship Between Spelling and Sound

• It is emphasized that spelling does not always correspond to pronunciation; for example, the word "chun" has a 'sh' sound despite being spelled with a 't'.

• This discrepancy underscores the necessity of studying phonetics to understand sound production accurately.

Phonetics: Branches and Focus Areas

Segmental vs. Suprasegmental Elements

• The course will initially cover segmental levels including vowel sounds and consonant sounds before progressing to suprasegmental elements like stress, rhythm, and intonation in future sessions.

Three Branches of Phonetics

• Phonetics is divided into three branches:

• Articulatory Phonetics: Studies how speech sounds are produced by speakers.

• Auditory Phonetics: Examines how speech sounds are perceived by listeners.

• Acoustic Phonetics: Focuses on sound waves generated during speech (not covered in this course).

The Role of IPA Symbols

Importance of Symbols in Linguistics

• Students will encounter numerous symbols representing various sounds used across languages due to the vast number (5,000 to 8,000 languages).

• These symbols help linguists identify which speech organs are involved in producing specific sounds.

International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)

• The IPA provides a standardized set of symbols for all human language sounds. Understanding these symbols aids learners in mastering pronunciation techniques.

Understanding English Phonetics and Transcription

Overview of English Sounds

• The English language consists of 44 phonemes, which include both vowel and consonant sounds.

• Each sound is represented by a specific symbol, crucial for understanding pronunciation. For example, the "e" sound is denoted as /ɛ/.

Vowel Sounds in English

• Vowel sounds can vary based on stress; for instance, the word "about" has an unstressed vowel sound represented as /ə/.

• Key vowel symbols include:

• /o/, /a/, /ɔɪ/, /e/, /æ/, and others. These are essential for accurate transcription.

Consonant Sounds in English

• Consonants also have distinct symbols, including:

• /p/, /b/, /θ/ (th), /dʒ/ (j), and others. Mastery of these symbols is necessary for effective communication in phonetics.

Transcription Process

• Transcription refers to converting letters into their corresponding sound symbols or vice versa. This process is fundamental in teaching phonics effectively.

• The distinction between slashes (/) for phonemic representation and square brackets ([ ]) for phonetic representation must be understood clearly. For example, the word "he" would be transcribed as [hi].

Teaching Phonics with Transcription

• When teaching young learners, it’s important to use phonics rather than spelling alone; this helps students connect letters with sounds directly. For instance, instead of saying "b-a-t," say "bat." This method enhances reading skills at early educational levels like kindergarten or primary school.

Speech Organs Involved in Sound Production

• Understanding speech organs is vital for articulating sounds correctly:

• Active Articulators: Moving parts such as the lower lip and tongue tip that create sounds.

• Points of Articulation: Fixed parts like the upper lip and teeth that interact with active articulators to produce speech sounds.

Detailed Anatomy of Speech Organs

• The anatomy includes various components:

• Active articulators: Lower lip, apex (tip) of the tongue, front/back of the tongue.

• Points of articulation: Upper lip, upper teeth (dental), alveolar ridge, hard palate, soft palate (velum), uvula.

These structures work together during speech production but serve different roles in articulation processes.

Articulators and Points of Articulation in Phonetics

Understanding Articulators and Points of Articulation

• The speaker emphasizes that certain parts are not considered articulators or points of articulation, yet they are essential for sound production.

• Key terms for describing sounds include labial (lower lip), apical (apex), frontal (front of tongue), doso (dorsum), and glottal (glottis).

• A facial diagram is introduced to illustrate the relationship between various articulators, including upper teeth, lower teeth, nose, lips, tongue, trachea, larynx, and glottis.

Classifying Consonant Sounds

• The classification of consonant sounds relies on understanding both the articulator and point of articulation.

• The term "place of articulation" combines the names of the articulator and point of articulation to categorize sounds effectively.

Examples of Places of Articulation

• The sound 'P' is classified as bilabial because it involves the lower lip meeting the upper lip during production.

• Other bilabial sounds include 'B', 'M', and 'W', all produced by bringing together both lips.

Labiodental and Alveolar Sounds

• Labiodental sounds involve the lower lip touching the upper teeth; examples include 'F' and 'V'.

• Apical alveolar sounds occur when the apex touches the alveolar ridge; notable examples are 'T', 'D', 'N', 'Z', 'L', and 'R'.

Further Classification: Dental Sounds

• Apical dental sounds utilize the apex against upper teeth; examples include voiceless ('TH') and voiced ('TH') sounds.

• Dorsovelar sounds arise from contact between dorsum (back of tongue) and velum; examples include hard consonants like ‘C’, ‘G’, etc.

Frontal Alveopalatal Sounds

• Frontal alveopalatal sounds involve using the front part of the tongue against an area near the hard palate; key examples are ‘SH’, ‘S’, ‘CH’, ‘J’.

Glottal Sounds in English

• Glottal sounds allow airflow from glottis without obstruction; two primary examples in English are a soft ‘H’ sound and specific patterns involving letters like T.

Understanding English Consonant Sounds

Variations in Pronunciation

• The speaker discusses common pronunciation variations among native English speakers, such as "written" vs. "written," "curtain" vs. "curtain," and "button" vs. "button." These variations highlight the diversity in consonant sounds within the language.

Voicing of Sounds

• A sound's voicing is described as the state of the vocal cords during its production. If the vocal cords vibrate, it is termed a voiced sound; if they do not vibrate, it is a voiceless sound.

Place of Articulation

• There are eight categories for describing the place of articulation: stops, labio-dentals, apical dentals, alveolars, palatals, and glottals. Understanding these categories helps in identifying how different sounds are produced.

Manner of Articulation

• The manner of articulation refers to how speech organs interact and how airflow is obstructed when producing sounds. Key manners include:

• Stops: Short airflow.

• Fricatives: Long airflow.

• Affricates: Intermediate airflow between stops and fricatives.

Examples of Sound Descriptions

• The speaker provides examples using specific sounds:

• The 'th' in "think" is identified as a voiceless apical dental fricative due to no vocal cord vibration and long airflow.

• Conversely, 'th' in "there" is a voiced apical dental fricative because it involves vocal cord vibration.

Articulatory Description Table

Completing Sound Descriptions

• A table format is introduced for students to describe various sounds based on their voicing (voiced or voiceless), place of articulation (e.g., bilabial), and manner (e.g., stop).

Example Sounds Explained

• P: Voiceless bilabial stop; no vibration felt during production.

• B: Voiced bilabial stop; involves vocal cord vibration with short airflow.

• M: Voiced nasal stop; also requires energy for production with vibrations felt in the vocal cords.

Understanding English Pronunciation and Accents

Voiced Bilabial Nasal Stop

• The sound "m" is identified as a voiced bilabial nasal stop, which is crucial for understanding phonetics.

• Emphasis on the importance of recognizing oral versus nasal sounds in pronunciation.

Learning Objectives and Submission Requirements

• Students are encouraged to take notes from the slides presented and submit them along with a completed table in Google Classroom for attendance scoring.

Varieties of English Pronunciation

• Discussion on how different accents can lead to communication issues, illustrated by a video featuring a Frenchman interacting with an Indian call center.

• The course focuses on standard English pronunciations, specifically General American English and Received Pronunciation (British English), to minimize pronunciation problems.

Global Accents and World Englishes

• Introduction to Singlish, the accent used by Singaporeans, highlighting that each country has its unique way of pronouncing English.

• Recognition that English has become "World Englishes," where speakers from various countries infuse their native accents into their use of the language. This reflects the diversity in global communication styles.