Содержание практических занятий Семинарское занятие № 1 Тема: Phonetics as a Branch of Science

Discussion Points:

1. Define the subject of phonetics. Speak about the role of phonetics in the study of language.

2. Describe the process of oral speech production. What stages does it consist of?

3. Characterize speech organs in accordance with their linguistic function.

4. Speak about the branches of phonetics as a science and a university course. What methods are used in them?

5. Give the definition of phonology. What is the main linguistic function of any phonetic unit?

6. Speak on the social and educational value of phonetics.

7. Characterize the relation of phonetics to other areas of science.

Семинарское занятие № 2 Тема: The phonetic System of a Language

Discussion Points:

1. What is phonology? What is its sphere of investigation?

2. What approaches to phonology do western linguists single out nowadays?

3. What are the two major components in phonetics? Speak on them.

4. What types of segmental phonetics are distinguished in the English language?

5. The levels of a language.

6. Aspects of speech sounds.

7. The articulatory aspect.

8. The acoustic aspect.

9. The auditory aspect.

10. The linguistic aspect.

Семинарское занятие № 3

Тема: Methods of Investigating the Sound Matter of the Language

Discussion Points:

1. Laboratory Techniques for Investigating Speech Articulation.

2. Acoustic Phonetics.

3. Instrumental Techniques for Linguistic Phonetic Fieldwork.

4. Experimental Design and Statistics in Speech Science.

Семинарское занятие № 4

Тема: Conception of the Phoneme

Discussion Points:

1. The approach of the phoneme in its historical aspect:

a) F. de Saussure’s conception of the phoneme;

b) B. de Courtenay - the originator of the phoneme theory;

c) Scerba’s development of the phoneme theory.

2. The development of the phoneme theory in the Soviet period.

3. The treatment of the phoneme abroad:

a) the Prague Phonological School;

b) the London Phonological School;

c) the American Phonological School;

d)the Copenhagen Phonological School.

Семинарское занятие № 5 Тема: The Phoneme Theory

Discussion Points:

1. Define the phoneme. What is an allophone? Give examples of allophones of different phonemes. What allophones are called principal?

2. What is the main linguistic function of the phoneme? Give examples.

3. Speak on the phoneme as a material and, at the same time, an abstract unit. Describe the relations between the phoneme and the phone.

4. Define the invariant of the phoneme. Give examples of distinctive and non-distinctive

features of phonemes.

5. Speak about pronunciation errors in relation to meaning.

6. What is transcription? Compare the broad transcriptions by D. Jones and V.A. Vassilyev. Which one do you consider the most suitable for the purpose of teaching the pronunciation? When is the narrow transcription used?

7. Compare the main trends of the phoneme theory and point out the main differences between them. Which conception is the most adequate?