II. Branches of phonetics.

- Articulatory phonetics – the branch of phonetics that studies the way in which the air is set in motion, the movements of the speech organs and the coordination of these movements in the production of single sounds and trains of sounds.

• Acoustic phonetics studies the way in which the air vibrates between the speaker’s mouth and the listener’s ear.

- Auditory phonetics is the branch of phonetics investigating the hearing process. Its interests are represented in the sensation of hearing, which is brain activity, than in the physiological working of the ear or the nervous activity between the ear and the brain.

- Experimental phonetics introduces the type of investigation together with sensory analysis. The use of instruments is valuable in ascertaining the nature of the limitations and characteristics of the human sensory apparatus by providing finer and more detailed analysis against which sensory analysis can be assessed. In a general way, the introduction of machines for measurements and for instrumental analysis into phonetics has resulted in their use for detailed study of many phenomena which are present in the sound wave or in the articulatory process at any given moment to moment.

- Phonology studies the linguistic function of consonant and vowel sounds, syllabic structure, word accent and prosodic features, such as pitch, stress and tempo. We are interested in the way in which sound phenomena function in a particular language, how they are utilized in that language and what role they play in manifesting the meaningful distinctions of the language. In linguistics, function is usually understood to mean discriminatory function, that is, the role of the various elements of the language in the distinguishing of one sequence of sounds, such as a word or a sequence of words, from another of different meanings.

We can communicate by gestures, facial expressions, touch, or even reading somebody’s thoughts, for instance, and these are not language. The study of the complex of various communication techniques is definitely relevant to teaching a foreign language. A knowledge of the structure of sound systems, and of the articulatory and acoustic properties of the production of speech is also indispensable for would-be teachers. Though study of the nature of language, especially of spoken language, requires insights into human psychology and into the functioning of man in society. Thus we dare say that phonetics has considerable social value.

- Phonotactics. By phonotactics we usually mean two things:

1) patterns of combinability of sounds 2) frequency of their occurrence

(which sounds can be combined in a

certain language in initial, final and

medium positions; what vowel can

start a word or end (or can’t end) it;

what consonant clusters are allowed

or not in a particular language). It is

conditioned by the main tendencies

of the articulatory basis of a certain

language.

Different languages employ different means. In each language the sound system is

shuffled in a specific way and sounds are not combined indiscriminately.

For example, in English short vowels [O], [u], [A] (with the exception of [I] and [q]) are not found in the word-final position. In Russian no word starts with [ы]. In Spanish no word can be started with [s], which may result comic mistakes. There is always е before st (Spanish - estand). English [gn] in initial word position is impossible, but it’s quite normal in Russian (гном, гнать). G isn’t read before n, for example, gnaw [nL]. (In initial positions: kn→[n] know/compare with Russian книга, pt→[t] ptisan [ti'zxn] /compare with Russian птица, ps→[s] psycho/ compare with Russian псих etc.)

T and n are the most frequently used consonants. Among clusters the most frequently used ones are mbl, ndl. In English a three-sound final position is possible (for example, bundle, gamble); in Russian a four-sound final position is quite all right (монстр, богатств), which is impossible in English. lg is extremely rare, it’s usually preceded by a vowel and never occupies the initial position.

The knowledge of phonotactics possibilities shows not only the theoretical sound system, but it also shows how the system works, where we have opportunities and where have to be careful. This can be important if you want to minimize your foreign accent.