...Chapter I THE FUNCTIONAL ASPECT OF SPEECH SOUNDS This chapter is concerned with the linguistic function of speech sounds, i. e. “segments of speech”. We are going to discuss here the definitions of the phoneme, methods used in establishing the phonemic structure of a language, the system of English phonemes, modifications of sounds in connected speech. 1.1. The Phoneme 17 1.1. The Phoneme 1.1.1. The definition of the phoneme To know how sounds are produced by speech organs it is not enough to describe and classify them as language units. When we talk about the sounds of a language, the term “sound” can be interpreted in two rather different ways. In the first place, we can say that [t] and [d] are two different sounds in English, [t] being fortis and [d] being lenis1 and we can illustrate this by showing how they contrast with each other to make a difference of meaning in a large number of pairs, such as tie – die, seat – seed, etc. But on the other hand if we listen carefully to the [t] in let us and compare it with the [t] in let them we can hear that the two sounds are also not the same, the [t] of let us is alveolar, while the [t] of let them is dental. In both examples the sounds differ in one articulatory feature only; in the second case the difference between the sounds has functionally no significance. It is perfectly clear that the sense of “sound” in these two cases is different. To avoid this ambiguity, the linguist uses two separate terms: “phoneme” is...
Words: 3099 - Pages: 13
...* "[O]ne of the functions of phonetic stress is to make words understandable. This kind of stress, known as word-level stress, is actually part of a word's pronunciation. It may also serve to differentiate words that are similar. For example, We're going to record a record, the two similar words are stressed differently so that the first record is stressed on the second syllable (vowel reduction in the first syllable also assists in helping us to assign stress to the second syllable), whereas the second record is stressed on the first syllable (with vowel reduction in the second syllable). All words of more than one syllable have a prominent or stressed syllable. If we pronounce a word with appropriate stress, people will understand us; if we use the wrong stress placement, we run the risk of being misunderstood. "Phrase or sentence stress is tied to meaning, and this is the second function of stress. As we focus a camera on some item of interest, phonetic stress helps us focus our listener's attention on what is most important in our message." (Harold T. Edwards, Applied Phonetics: The Sounds of American English, 3rd ed. Thomson, 2003) * "Stresses tend to recur at regular intervals. But the sound pattern of English does not make it an overriding necessity to adjust the lengths of syllables so as to enforce complete regularity. The interval between stresses is affected by the number of syllables within the stress group, by the number and type of vowels and consonants...
Words: 624 - Pages: 3
...Language lies at the root of that transformation of the environment that we call ‘civilization’. How is language encouraged in the Montessori prepared environment? Language is something that I can’t explain. It is absurd for me. What I know is I am able to speak to communicate what is on my mind to other people, but the process how did it happen I barely remember it. Before I learn about Montessori, I used to think that language is something that comes naturally. I thought it was something ridiculous if children learn how to write and how to read in early age because I was thought that eventually children could done it easily. Well, I guess I was wrong all this time and sure I am taking for granted that I was underestimate how we can speak, read, and writing. Human needs practice to be fluently in speaking, to be understood in reading, and to be able to writing a simple note. In fact, human being learns language from he or she was an infant. An infant is first exposed to language through sounds generated by the environment and languages spoken by the adults surrounding him. As I observe my 9 months old son, he starts babble when he was 6 months old now he is more talkative event tough he can only say baba papa mama or dada. But I always replying what he says in order to make him feel respected, to teach him Bahasa and I don’t want to lose his sensitive period. Language is goes a long way in establishing a people’s identity, somehow showing people’s artistic, economic...
Words: 2341 - Pages: 10
...pronunciation Let us look at the titles written in English first. The number of textbooks and teaching materials concerned solely with SC pronunciation is quite small. Huang (1969) is limited to simple descriptions of the articulation of particular consonants, vowels, diphthongs, and triphthongs, accompanied by sketches of vocal organs, adding explanation of tones (note that Huang uses the IPA symbols in comparison with various romanization systems including Pinyin). Dow (1972) treats the topic more comprehensively (up to stress, but not intonation), although the main emphasis is on description of vowels and consonants (he does not work with Pinyin, using the IPA instead; the sketches of the position of articulatory...
Words: 1456 - Pages: 6
...AbstractIAbstractPronunciation learning is very important in second language acquisition.However,thebasic knowledge of phonetics has been ignored.Pupils in Hebei province begin to learnEnglish in grade three in the primary school.But there is no systematic knowledge ofphonetics in the textbooks.Phonetics learning needs not only the phonics imitation method,but also the basic knowledge about phonetics.However,with the influence of quality-orientededucation and the western language teaching mode,pronunciation teaching in China tends touse the imitation method and the basic knowledge of phonetics is undervalued.It is worth tonotice that English acquisition environment for Chinese students is different from the West.First,English teachers in China are mostly Chinese.Even if there are foreign teachers,theforeigners teaching force is relatively weak.Second,the language surrounding to the studentsis mainly in Chinese.And students in the oral English class are not active to participate andinteract.Moreover,English belongs to Indo-European language system,while Chinesebelongs to Sino-Tibetan language system.They belong to different language families andthere are many differences in tone,syllable and phoneme.Thus the negative influence ofChinese on the English acquisition is great.Without any basic knowledge of phonetics,thelearners will meet lots of difficulties when they learn a new language which is quite differentfrom their mother tongue.Therefore,the Chinese phonetic teaching only relying on theimitation phonics...
Words: 17475 - Pages: 70
...Linguistics is the science of language. It is the subject whose practitioners devote their energy to understanding why human language is the way it is. They study the history, acquisition, structure, and use of as many languages as possible. In general, Linguistics studies the nature of human language. It aims to uncover the general structure of natural language which is not dependent on individual languages and ways in which languages can be described. Moreover, the discipline examines the characteristics that separate human language from other sign and communication systems. Both in teaching and research, language is studied in a versatile manner from the level of sounds to complete sentences and texts, their meanings and entire spoken discourses. Moreover, Linguistics studies regional, social and temporal changes occurring in language, context-related use of language and production, and understanding processes of linguistic messages from the perspective of individual psychology. Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. There are many approaches to the study of language, emphasizing different scientific traditions and aspects of the subject. Two broad divisions are the following: Theoretical Linguistics: the study of the structural properties of language, e.g., the rules or constraints that govern the formation and interpretation of words and sentences in the world's languages. Experimental and Applied Linguistics: the study of language in relation to a wide range...
Words: 2023 - Pages: 9
...BYBLOS: The BBN continuous speech recognition system :- In this paper, they describe BYBLOS, the BBN continuous speech recognition system. The system, designed for large vocabulary applications, integrates acoustic, phonetic, lexical, and linguistic knowledge sources to achieve high recognition performance. The basic approach it makes is the extensive use of robust context-dependent models of phonetic coarticulation using Hidden Markov Models (HMM). It describes the components of the BYBLOS system, including: signal processing frontend, dictionary, phonetic model training system, word model generator, grammar and decoder. In recognition experiments, it demonstrates consistently high word recognition performance on continuous speech across: speakers, task domains, and grammars of varying complexity. In speaker-dependent mode, where 15 minutes of speech is required for training to a speaker, 98.5% word accuracy has been achieved in continuous speech for a 350-word task, using grammars with perplexity ranging from 30 to 60. With only 15 seconds of training speech we demonstrate performance of 97% using a grammar. http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/freeabs_all.jsp?arnumber=1169748 Audio-visual modeling for bimodal speech recognition:- Audio-visual speech recognition is a novel extension of acoustic speech recognition and has received a lot of attention in the last few decades. The main motivation behind bimodal speech recognition is the bimodal characteristics of speech perception...
Words: 2115 - Pages: 9
...whether text based interactions can be described as a creative form of language use. The text that I will analyse is a conversation between friends: I will identify a number of features of the text, comment on their effect and whether they are creative, then discuss some of the public attitudes towards texting. Many of the techniques used in sample have the purpose of engaging the reader; making the text more eye-catching; making the text sound colloquial (like a spoken conversation); adding to the humorous banter-like tone of the text; and injecting an expression of emotion into the writing. One technique used in the text is including slang or words written as they are said. Some examples of this are ‘wazaap?’ (l.1); ‘Who dis?’ (l.2); ‘nah’ (l.9); ‘Waana’ (l.14); ‘Wat abat’ (l.16). The effect of these features is to make the text read like a very informal, spoken conversation between two people who know each other very well. This makes the person reading the text, feel that they can express their thoughts and feelings in a natural, open way, and creates an intimate link between them. The text also uses non-verbal language such as: ‘whoa whoa whoa’ (l.11); tch .hh – yeh - u::h u::h (l.15); ‘Mmhm’ (l.18). The effect of these techniques is to add in spoken sounds that are never written into formal texts. These are sounds that people make when they are speaking directly to one another and are not part of language, they are known as ‘metacommunication’. They usually tell the reader...
Words: 983 - Pages: 4
...study of language. The word was first used in the middle of the 19th century to emphasize the difference between a newer approach to the study of language that was then developing and the more traditional approach of philology. The differences were and are largely matters of attitude, emphasis, and purpose. The philologist is concerned primarily with the historical development of languages as it is manifest in written texts and in the context of the associated literature and culture. The linguist, though he may be interested in written texts and in the development of languages through time, tends to give priority to spoken languages and to the problems of analyzing them as they operate at a given point in time. The field of linguistics may be divided in terms of three dichotomies: synchronic versus diachronic, theoretical versus applied, microlinguistics versus macrolinguistics. A synchronic description of a language describes the language as it is at a given time; a diachronic description is concerned with the historical development of the language and the structural changes that have taken place in it. The goal of theoretical linguistics is the construction of a general theory of the structure of language or of a general theoretical framework for the description of languages; the aim of applied linguistics is the application of the findings and techniques of the scientific study of language to practical tasks, especially to the elaboration of improved methods of language teaching...
Words: 30965 - Pages: 124
...| | | | | | | | |Europass | | |Curriculum Vitae | | | | | |Personal information | | |First name(s) / Surname(s) |Fellanza Canolli | | | | | | | | ...
Words: 921 - Pages: 4
...ВЫСШЕЕ ПРОФЕССИОНАЛЬНОЕ ОБРАЗОВ АНИЕ И. В. ЗЫКОВА ПРАКТИЧЕСКИЙ КУРС АНГЛИЙСКОЙ ЛЕКСИКОЛОГИИ A PRACTICAL COURSE IN ENGLISH LEXICOLOGY Рекомендовано Учебно методическим объединением по образованию в области лингвистики Министерства образования и науки Российской Федерации в качестве учебного пособия для студентов лингвистических вузов и факультетов иностранных языков 2 е издание, исправленное УДК 802.0:801.3(075.8) ББК 81.2Англ 3 я73 З 966 Р е ц е н з е н т ы: доктор филологических наук, профессор кафедры стилистики английского языка Московского государственного лингвистического университета Е. Г. Беляевская; доцент кафедры английского языка Московского государственного лингвистического университета Т. В. Тадевосян; кандидат филологических наук, доцент кафедры английского языка Московской государственной юридической академии А. В. Дорошенко Зыкова И.В. З 966 Практический курс английской лексикологии = A Practical Course in English Lexicology : учеб. пособие для студ. лингв. вузов и фак. ин. языков / Ирина Владимировна Зыкова. — 2 е изд., испр. — М.: Издательский центр «Академия», 2007. — 288 c. ISBN 978 5 7695 4062 2 Учебное пособие охватывает всю программу курса лексикологии анг лийского языка. В нем рассматриваются важнейшие проблемы лексико логии в свете ведущих принципов современной лингвистики. Введение в теоретические проблемы курса осуществляется на фоне обобщающего описания основ лексического строя английского языка. Каждый раздел пособия снабжен вопросами...
Words: 3488 - Pages: 14
...Speech and Language Therapist A speech and language therapist is someone who assesses and treats speech, language and communication problems in people of all ages which would help them in the future to help them to communicate better. A speech and language therapist is also known as a SLT. Some of the problems a SLT may face while at work is if the child or adult has difficulty producing speech (this is the phonetics, an example of this would the production of a vowel- the mouth is opened and there is air forced from the lungs through the larynx leading the vocal folds vibrate. If the sounds have a higher frequency they would have a higher pitch. Another thing a SLT does is helps to understand and help to use the language being produced, any people who have difficulty feeding, chewing or swallowing, if the patient has a stammer or a voice problem. The people who get referred to a SLT could have problems from a stroke, if they have a learning disability such as autism; it could also be a neurological disorder such as Parkinson’s, cancer of the mouth and throat, a head injury or even a clef plate. Some of the places that a SLT could work is in a hospital setting (they would normally have their own ward), in a community health centre, within a mainstream school which would have children with speech difficulties, a special school, within a home and in an assessment unit and day centres. Some skills which are useful for a speech and language therapist is that they have good...
Words: 1181 - Pages: 5
...OF THE ENGLISH LITERARY (STANDARD) LANGUAGE ( From: I.R.Galperin. Stylistics. Moscow: Higher School, 1977. pp. 41-57) Up till now we have done little more than mention the literary (standard) language, which is one of the most important notions in stylistics and general linguistics. It is now necessary to elucidate this linguistic notion by going a little deeper into what constitutes the concept and to trace the stages in the development of the English standard language. This is necessary in order to avoid occasional confusion of terms differently used in works on the history, literature and style of the English language. Confusion between the terms "literary language" and "language of literature" is frequently to be met. Literary language is a historical category. It exists as a variety of the national language.' "It must be remembered," said A. M. Gorki, "that language is the creation of the people. The division of the language into literary and vernacular only means that there are, as it were, a rough unpolished tongue and one wrought by men-of-letters."1 The literary language is that elaborated form (variety) of the national language which obeys definite morphological, phonetic, syntactical, lexical, phraseological and stylistic norms2 recognized as standard and therefore acceptable in all kinds and types of discourse. It allows modifications but within the frame work of the system of established norms. It casts out some of the forms of language which are...
Words: 8269 - Pages: 34
...linguistics lɪŋgwɪstɪks/ noun 1. 1. the scientific study of language and its structure, including the study of grammar, syntax, and phonetics. Specific branches of linguistics include sociolinguistics, dialectology, psycholinguistics, computational linguistics, comparative linguistics, and structural linguistics. Discourse[edit] A discourse is a way of speaking that emerges within a certain social setting and is based on a certain subject matter. A particular discourse becomes a language variety when it is used in this way for a particular purpose, and is referred to as a register.[25] There may be certain lexical additions (new words) that are brought into play because of the expertise of the community of people within a certain domain of specialisation. Registers and discourses therefore differentiate themselves through the use of vocabulary, and at times through the use of style too. People in the medical fraternity, for example, may use some medical terminology in their communication that is specialised to the field of medicine. This is often referred to as being part of the "medical discourse", and so on. Dialect[edit] A dialect is a variety of language that is characteristic of a particular group among the language speakers.[26] The group of people who are the speakers of a dialect are usually bound to each other by social identity. This is what differentiates a dialect from a register or adiscourse, where in the latter case, cultural identity does not always...
Words: 18394 - Pages: 74
...in a particular region and having shared customs, laws, and organizations Language-A human system of communication that uses arbitrary signals, such as voice sounds, gestures, or written symbols the method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way the system of communication used by a particular community or country Sociolinguistics- The study of language in relation to social factors, including differences of regional, class, and occupational dialect. The study of the relation between language and society 1) Sociolinguistics- also called Micro- Sociolinguistics- is, as Hudson (1996, p.4) states, « the study of language in relation to society ». Therefore, the focus here is emphasized on the structure of language and the way society with its different aspects from social classes and culture, to gender and ethnicity, influences the kind of linguistic structures we use and the way we talk. This leads us to conclude that Sociolinguistics studies, for example, how social situations require a change in the way we talk as there is a difference between ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ speeches, ‘discussions’ and ‘arguments’, and ‘requests’ and ‘demands’. The Sociology of language- also called Macro- Sociolinguistics- is, as Hudson (1996, p.4) affirms, « the study of society in relation to language ». Accordingly, we study the language of a particular community with the aim of discovering and understanding the...
Words: 1523 - Pages: 7