ICCEP

neutral vowel. Тhe nearest Russian approximation to the English neutral vowel pronounced at the end of а word is the unstressed Russian а [ъ] in word final position.

Ех. 3. Practise saying the weak fоrт оf the following words correctly:

The phonemes [ ], [ ]

In the production of the English consonants [ ], [ ] the soft palate is raised to touch the

back part of the teeth-ridge. When contact is made, the air-passage through the mouth cavity is completely blocked for a short time. The air is compressed by pressure from the lungs. The moment the middle part of the tongue is raised in the direction of the hard palate, the tip of the tongue is slowly removed from the teeth ridge, forming a flat narrowing through which the air passes with friction. Thus in the production of [ ], [ ], as in [ ], [ ], two foci of articulation are formed.

In the production of [ ] the vocal cords are kept apart and do not vibrate, whereas in the production of [ ] they are drawn near together and vibrate.

The phoneme [ ] is voiceless, the phoneme [ ] is voiced.

The English [ ], as compared with the Russian [ч], is not so much palatalized and sounds darker. In the production of the Russian [ч] the middle of the tongue is raised higher.

Russian learners are apt to replace the English [ ] by a more palatalized Russian [ч]. This mistake can be prevented or corrected by making the second element of the affricate [ ] nearer to the Russian [ш].

No phoneme similar to English [ ] exists in the Russian language, though there is a voiced variant of the Russian phoneme [ч], which resembles the English [ ]. This voiced

variant occurs in connected speech when [ч] is immediately followed by the voiced consonants [б], [д], [г], [з] or [ж], e.g. “дочь больна”, “с плеч долой”.

Ex. 4. Pronounce the following words avoiding palatalization:

Game, cheese, then, beach, send, came, debt, Jane, wake, leak, take, deaf, neck, beds, tent, fix, seven, met, begs, Pete, pit, beef.

Ex. 2. Distribute the following words into 3 columns depending on the positional length of a vowel:

[ , , , , , , , i:, , : , , , i: , , i: , ]

Ex. 3. Practise reading the following words paying attention to the weak form of the indefinite article:

Ex. 4. Read the following sentences. Substitute the given nouns for the noun in brackets. Write the tonogrammes of the first two sentences of each section:

Ex. 5

a) Look at the words in the box. Underline the vowels pronounced [ ] (as in day and rain) and circle the vowels pronounced [e] (as in red and said):

b)Repeat the words after the teacher and check your answers.

c)Work in pairs. “Potato” and “bread” are both things to eat. Find more pairs in the words in the box.

Questions to be answered

1.In what way is the use of Low Fall characterized in English?

2.What is the difference between the use of Low Fall in Russian and in English?

3.How are the definite and indefinite articles pronounced in the unstressed position?

4.What variants of phoneme[ ] do you know?

Additional tasks

1.Mind the interdental position of the tongue in the production of [ ] [ ] which is typical of the English language only. Pronounce the following words:

a)thatcher, thatchet, thatching, thatchwood, think, thumb, thankful;

b)those, thankworthy, their, themselves, thereabout, thereafter, thereupon.

2.Complete the English and the Russian variants of the pronunciation of [ ].

3.Describe the nucleus of the diphthong [e ].

4.Speak on the use of the falling tune.

Tests

I. Choose the appropriate intonation pattern

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UNIT 4

Refer back to the [ ], [ ], [ ] and [ ] sounds from Unit 3

Revision

Practise reading the following words with the [ ] and [ ] sounds

Exercises

Ex. 2. Mind the sound [ ] to avoid its substitution for [s], [t], [z]:

Ex. 3. Mind the sound [ ] to avoid its substitution for [v], [z], [d]:

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Ex. 5. Read the following sentences five times each. Make sure you pronounce the [ ], [ ], [ ] and [ ] sounds correctly:

1.'Small 'rain 'lays 'great dust.

[ : ]

2.It rained | and rained | and rained | on that 'April day.

[ ]

3.'Is their 'father a doctor?

[ : ]

4.' “Thick” and “thin” | 'mean 'opposite things.

[ i: ]

5.'Lets 'thank her for the 'theatre tickets.

[ ]

Vowel [ ]

In pronouncing the phoneme [ ] the bulk of the tongue is in the front part of the mouth

cavity. The tongue is rather low in the mouth. The middle of the tongue is slightly raised, but not so high as for [e]. The lips are neutral. The opening between the jaws is wide.

The vowel [ ] only occurs in closed syllables. When stressed and followed by a voiceless

consonant, it is always checked.

This vowel may be defined as front, almost fully open (a broad variation of the low position of the tongue) and unrounded.

The English phoneme [ ] is more open than the Russian [э] in such words as “этот”.

Russian learners are apt to replace the English [ ] by the Russian vowel [э] or the English vowel [e].

To prevent this mistake the middle part of the tongue should be kept lower for [ ] than for the English [e] or the Russian [э]. It is useful in practising the pronunciation of [ ] to keep the

mouth wide open. The learners should aim at pronouncing a vowel intermediate in quality between the Russian vowels [э] and [a].

Ex. 1. Read the exercises. Pronounce the [ ] sound correctly:

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Practise reading the following tongue-twister articulating the [ ], [ ] and [ ] sounds properly and memorize it:

A Thatcher of Thatchwood

A 'thatcher of 'Thatchwood 'Went to 'thatchet a - thatching. | 'Did a 'thatcher of 'Thatchwood 'Go to 'thatchet a - thatching ? | If a 'thatcher of 'Thatchwood 'Went to 'thatchet a - thatching 'Where’s the thatching |

the 'thatcher of 'Thatchwood has thatched? ||

Listen to the dialogue №6.1 (“Have you got a marrow...”) of the linguaphone course “Sound Right”, write it down, transcribe intone and act it out.

Phoneme [ ]

In pronouncing this phoneme the both elements of this diphthong the bulk of the tongue is in the front part of the mouth cavity. During the pronunciation of the nucleus of the diphthong the middle part of the tongue is rather low in the mouth, lower than for [ ]. Thus the nucleus may be defined as front, open (a broad variation of the low position of the tongue), unrounded. During the glide the middle of the tongue moves higher, in the direction of [ ], but without

reaching it. The glide of [ ] sounds, in fact, like a weak [e]. The opening between the jaws is rather wide for the nucleus and much narrower for the glide. The lips are spread. Russian learners are apt to replace the nucleus of the English diphthong [ ] by the more back Russian vowel [a] or the English [ :]. In order to prevent or correct these mistakes it is necessary to pronounce a vowel intermediate in quality between the English vowel [ ] and the Russian [a]. The nearest Russian approximation to the nucleus of the English diphthong [ ] is the Russian vowel [a] between two palatalized consonants, as in the words “пять”, “чай”.

Ex. 1.Read the following words with the [ ] sound. Mind the positional length of the sound:

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Reduction

In English there is a tendency to reduce vowels in an unstressed position. Reduction is the change of the quantity (length) or the quality of a word. Three types of reduction are distinguished: quantitative, qualitative and complete.

Quantitative reduction is the change of the length of a vowel in an unstressed position:

Qualitative reduction is the change of the quality of a vowel when it occurs in an unstressed syllable

Complete reduction is the omission of an unstressed vowel sound:

Reading Material

Read the sentences paying attention to the weak form of structural words:

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Grammar. The Imperative Mood

(see supplement)

Exercises

Ex.1. Transcribe the following words:

Sigh, catch, sneeze, pie, state, tan, city, fine, Kitty, scythe, dye, scene, kind, night, tidy, tie, give, tin, by, bikes, weight, gay, main

Ex. 2. Comment on the cases of regressive assimilation:

[ , , ( ) , ]

Ex. 3.Distribute the words into three columns depending on the positional length of a vowel:

[ , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ]

Ex. 4. Read the following word combinations:

Ex. 6. Practise reading the following sentences substituting the given nouns for the nouns in brackets. Write the tonogrammes of the first two sentences:

1)[ ] ([ , , , e ])

2)[ ] ([ , ])

Ex. 7. Transcribe the following sentences. Mark stresses and tunes. Read them:

My name is Nick. This is an easy text. That is a stamp. Take it. Send them.

Questions to be answered

1.What is assimilation?

2.What types of assimilation do you know?

3.What happens in case of:

a)progressive assimilation;

b)regressive assimilation;

c)reciprocal assimilation.

4.When is assimilation complete and incomplete?

5.What is reduction?

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