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Basic Phonetics For Teachers 29816
Basic Phonetics For Teachers 29816
Basic Phonetics For Teachers 29816
Voicing
Sounds are classified on the basis of their voicing. Voicing is produced when the larynx muscles vibrate. The larynx muscles form the vocal bands. This is a picture of a normal larynx.
(Voice Foundation, 2006)
Voicing contiuned
Sounds can be voiced or voiceless. Voiced sounds require vibration of the muscles in the larynx that form the vocal bands. The space between these bands is called the glottis. This photo shows the glottis during normal breathing periods.
(Voice Foundation, 2006)
Voicing Continued..
The glottis is closed when the vocal bands are brought together. This is called adducted. This action blocks the breath stream that builds up below and causes the bands to vibrate repeatedly.
(Edwards, 2003) Graphic: (Voice Foundation, 2006)
Voicing continued..
This graphic shows what the vocal bands look like when they are open, or abducted. The bands move together like stiff rubber bands to restrict and adjust airflow for forming speech sounds.
(Voice Foundation, 2006)
Physiology of Speech
Diagram of Vocal Fold Vibration 1 Column of air pressure moves upward towards vocal folds in "closed" position 2, 3 Column of air pressure opens bottom of vibrating layers of vocal folds; body of vocal folds stays in place 4, 5 Column of air pressure continues to move upward, now towards the top of vocal folds, and opens the top 610 The low pressure created behind the fast-moving air column produces a Bernoulli effect which causes the bottom to close, followed by the top
10 Closure of the vocal folds cuts off the air column and releases a pulse of air (voicefoundation.org, 2006)
(Edwards, 2003)
Place of Articulation
A place of articulation is a point of contact for producing a speech sound. It is the vocal configuration necessary for the production of sounds. There are many places of articulation as indicated on the left.
(Voice Foundation, 2006)
LABIAL sounds: Produced by one or both lips. They break down into bilabial (both lips) sounds and labiodentals (lower lip touches upper teeth). Labial sounds can be produced by one or both lips. Labial sounds are /p/, /b/, /f/, /v/, /m/, and /w/. When both lips are used it is called a bilabial sound. Examples of bilabial sounds are the /p/ and /b/ sounds. Examples of bilabial words are mama and papa When the lower lip hits the upper teeth, the sound is a labiodental sound. For example, the sound /v/. (Edwards, 2003)
Place of Articulation
DENTAL sounds: When the tongue contacts the teeth, for example: // and // ALEVEOLARS: These sounds occur when the tongue contacts the upper area behind the teeth. Examples include: /r/,/t/,and /l/.
(Edwards, 2003)
Place of Articulation
PALATALS: For these sounds, the tongue must touch some part of the roof of the mouth. These sounds are also broken down into various groups depending upon the placement of the tongue on the palate. Some examples of this sound are: //, //, //. VELLARS: These sounds are produced when the tongue touches the soft palate (/k/,/g/).
(Edwards, 2003)
Place of Articulation
And, last, but not least GLOTTALS: The only sound of this kind in American English is the /h/ sound made by narrowing the glottis by partially opening the vocal folds to produce some friction.
(Edwards, 2003)
The manner of articulation describes how the tongue, lips, and other speech organs are involved in making a sound make contact. Manner is often used in describing the production of consonants. (Manner of Articulation, 2006) As indicated later on during the presentation, there are many manners of articulation.
(www.umanitoba.ca)
This controls the flow of air and produces the sounds we hear.
(Edwards,2003)
Once the articulators (tongue, lips, etc.) are in place, they behave in particular ways.
Obstruents
Obstruents consonants are characterized by an obstructed vocal tract, either complete or partial. All of the consonants except the sonorants are obstruents. To understand obstruent sounds better, compare the labial /b/ and /w/. The /b/ sound is a sound that completely blocks the vocal tract while the /w/ sound does not. (Edwards, 2003)
Sonorants
When a sonorant sound is produced, the channels through which air passes are relatively open. The sonorant sounds are: /m/, /n/, /l/, /r/, /w/, and /j/ Sonorant sounds are produced without much extra effort on the part of the speaker.
(Edwards, 2003)
Approximants
Approximants are termed much the same way sonorants are. With approximants, the articulators approach each other, but not to the extent that turbulence is produced. If the articulators are required to be completely closed, then the sound (such as the nasal sounds), are not approximants. Even though they are resonated through the nose. The approximant sounds are: /l/, /r/, /w/, and /j/.
(Edwards, 2003)
Sibilants
Sibilants are often referred to as the hushing or hissing sounds. The are characterized by relatively high frequency noise. Examples of sibilant sounds are: /s/, and /z/.
LIQUIDS: These sounds are produced with little to no friction. Laterals and liquids share many commonalities. Often they are treated as the same class of sound production. In American English, the sounds /r/, and /l/ are considered liquid sounds.
Glides
When a consonant is rapidly transitioned to a following vowel, the sound is a glide. When the sound is produced from a transition between a consonant and a preceding vowel, it is termed an off glide. The common glides for American English are: /l/ and /r/.
(Edwards, 2003)
Stress/Nonstress
Another feature of phonetic features that do not distinguish phonemes would be Stress/Nonstress. For example, say the word record with the stress sound in the beginning of the word, and you may be identifying an object that harbors music. Say the word record with the stress at the end of the word, and you are referring to taping something that is spoken or heard. These ways help distinguish vowels in syllables of their typical emphasis (stress) from vowels in other contexts (nonstress) Stress/Nonstress features are useful in helping to distinguish vowels in syllables of Stress (primary emphasis) from vowels in other contexts labeled Nonstress.
(Edwards, 2003)
Summary
Sound characteristics and classifications are numerous and diverse. Phoneticians continue to classify sounds today. Basically, sounds are classified in broad categories and are then narrowed into smaller categories. They are refined and distinctive in their properties.
Communication
Language is the basic building block for communication. Differences in sound systems have a phonological basis: they depend upon speech organ positions and breath control. Understanding basic phonetics will help teachers understand the physical aspects of speech production.
Social Acceptance
A major challenge for ELL learners is fitting in to a traditional English classroom, especially if the student is older. To make this adjustment easier, the teacher can assure the student that they are producing sounds that are aesthetically pleasing to those around him/her and are understood by native English speakers.
References
Manner of articulation. (2006). Retrieved February 20, 2007, from Answers.com http://www.answers.com/topic/manner-of-articulation Russell, K. (2006). Phonetics-English Consonants. Retrieved February 19, 2007 from http://www.umanitoba.ca/linguistics/russels/phonetics/index.html Voiceproblem.org. (2004). Understanding How Voice is Produced. Retrieved February 19, 2007 from http://www.voiceproblem.org/anatomy/understanding.asp Edwards, H. T. (2003). Applied phonetics: The sounds of American English. Clifton Park, New York: Delmar Learning.
Voice foundation. (2006). Retrieved February 20, 2007, from The Voice Foundation Web site: http://www.voicefoundation.org