Phonetics – is a ling. Discipline which deals with phonemes, allophones, intonation. Ph – s came to existence at the beginning of the 19 th century. Human beings differ from other living creatures due to the 2^nd signal system.

Language – is a system of symbols each of which expresses semantic meaning. Phonetics: General & Special.

Branches of special phonetics:

1. Articulatory – studies the speech organ, their position and coordination in the process of articulation.

2. Acoustic – deals with the vibrations of the speaker’s mouth and listener’s ear and he soundwave by means of which the sound is transformed from speaker’s mouth to the listener’s ear.

3. Auditory – concerns hearing as a psychological process viewing the interaction between the ear and the brain.

1829 – primitive laryngoscope was invented what enabled the doctor and later the phonetic specialist to go deeper into the throat to see the work of the vocal cords and some parts of the larynx.

1952 – the 1^st recorded observation of the vocal cords were made.

1977 – the 1^st gramophone was invented.

1986 – the International Phonetic Association was founded and a year later in its first congress international phonetic transcription originated by Daniel Jones – the father of phonetics.

Phonetics interacts with other disciplines :

• Physics (energy production caused by the speech movement)

• Psychology (thinking, memory, listening, speaking)

• Biology (structure of speech organ, brain, speech organ+ear)

• History

• Grammar (intonation of different communicative types of utterances, pauses, the intonation of simple and complex sentences)

Phonology – as a part of phonetics deals with functional aspect of speech sounds. It means that phonetics is more concentrated on the way how sound is formed and transferred in the space. Phonology – deals with the meaning of the sound and its function for communication process.

In the 60’s prof. Nickolai Trubetsckoy, the Prague School of Phonetics, draw the line between phonetics and phonology. He managed to prove that everything what is connected with sound production has more physical and biological sense while everything connected the meaning of the sound in the language is phonological.

The phonetic structure of the language

1. Phoneme

2. Syllable

3. Phonetic word

4. Utterance

5. Discourse.

Segmental (phoneme) Suprasegmental (phonetic word, utterance, discourse)

Phoneme and allophone

Phoneme is the smallest linguistic unit which is capable to differentiate the meaning and the grammar forms of the words. Allophone is a material presentation of phonemes in speech.

Reasons of allophones:

1. Individual speech habits.

2. Regional peculiarities.

3. “Linguistic Darwinism” (people economize the language)

4. Phonetic environment

Methods of phonetic investigation

1. Direct observation method (dom)

Includes immediate interaction between a teacher and a leaner. The teacher is supposed to demonstrate the correct and accurate way of pronunciation with detail explanations of specific positions. The leaner is obliged to observe thoroughly the teacher and imitate the seen and the heard in the closest way.

DOM is based on 2 generic positions: “beautiful voice” – is a well-established manner of correct pronunciation that enables the audience or the listener to perceive 100% of the heard information; “phonetic ear” – is acquired ability of human brain to perceive 100% of the sound information estimating its origin and authenticity.

DOM comprises 3 modes: 1) by ear, 2) by sight, 3) by muscular sensation.

2. Experimental (instrumental) method

If Dom is not sufficient to observe the articulatory nature of some sound, instrumental method can be of some use. Due to the application of various medical instruments as well as as phonetic devices it becomes possible to look inside of human vocal apparatus. In modern world super modern computer technologies make it possible to observe, to record and to demonstrate the articulation process as a whole thing. The most widely spread devises are:

• Laryngoscope

• Artificial palate

• Digital hi-fi systems

• A mirror

• Computer assisted sound analyzers

3. Linguistic method

Gives the chance to conclude the results of the experimental process to give the ground, to elaborate the rule in such a way that the obtained knowledge can be passed to everybody who is keen on this subject.

Functions of the phonetic in human society

1. Language oriented function (linguistic)

It serves to teach correct pronunciation, good enunciation and profound elocution to public speakers. In order to make more effective one should involve the idea of “b. voice” and “ph. ear”.

2. Society oriented function (social)

• Speech recording and typing;

• Speaker recognition system;

• Speaker identification in criminal cases;

• Medical purposes of phonetics: logopedics, speech therapy, surdomutes or surdopedagogis, speech training.

Articulation basis of English

It is the summary of all the rules of articulation in a given lan-ge. The Eng. Articulation is very specific due to the fact that English is an orthoepic lan-ge (spelling and pronunciation vary).

1. All Eng. Consonants are hard, no positional palatalization.

2. Aspiration is preservation of the intensity of the air stream throughout the whole process of articulation. It is positional phenomenon affecting 3 Eng. Plosives /p,t,k/. Aspiration is foreign to Slavonic lan-es.

3. There are 2 phonemes in Eng. Which are strange to all other lan-es / Ǿ, ð/.

4. There are 2 Eng. Sounds which are unique according to their origin /t,d/ - alveolar.

5. There is a very unique, though not originally Eng. Sound, / ŋ/.

6. Eng. Word final voiced consonants shouldn’t be avoided.

7. In Eng. Sound /r/ is called rolled or cacuminal because of special tongue positions:

• Linkin (where is)

• Intrusive (get out - /geraut/)