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MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE OF UKRAINE

KYIV NATIONAL LINGUISTIC UNIVERSITY

Kyiv – 2005

Морякіна І.А., Ставицька Т.Є.

Посібник для самостійної роботи з практичної фонетики англійської мови для студентів ІІ курсу (англ. мовою). – К.: Видавничий центр КНЛУ, 2006. – 108 с.

Рецензенти: Сліпченко Л.Д., к.ф.н., доцент кафедри фонетики англійської мови Київського національного лінгвістичного університету;

Тягловська В.М., к.ф.н., доцент кафедри англійської мови та перекладу Київського національного лінгвістичного університету;

Горенко О.П., к.ф.н., доцент кафедри англійської мови фізико-математичних факультетів Інституту філології Київського національного університету імені Тараса Шевченка.

Друкується за рішенням ученої ради Київського національного лінгвістичного університету (Протокол №___ від _______)

Contents

Preface 4

The System of Phonetic Notation 5

Section I 7

Section II 22

Section III 39

Section IV 54

Section V 70

Section VI 86

Literature used 108

Preface

The suggested educative complex is designed to give systematic practice in the pronunciation of English at the intermediate stage of learning the language, to enrich students’ spoken English and help them to use its correctly and fluently. It is meant for second year students of English departments.

One of major tasks of the methodological complex is to supply ample training on the adequate usage of sound and intonation patterns in spontaneous conversational speech.

The complex consists of 6 sections. Each section presents drills on the most important sound contrasts and modifications in speech and intonation practice. Sound and intonation training are conducted simultaneously throughout the course. All sections contain speech situations intended to stimulate a conversation, in which any student will use spontaneously the familiar patterns.

The material presented has been developed for use in the classroom as well for students working alone. The book contains practical advice on how to organize students’ learning, effectively and a varied selection of assignments to be tackled creatively outside class time.

It should be mentioned the suggested material is accompanied by laboratory works for students’ individual training and improving their pronunciation habits in various kinds of speaking activities.

The System of Phonetic Notation

	high-pitched or medium-pitched stressed syllables
	low-pitched syllables
	high pre-head
	any stressed syllable which is higher than the lowest pitch
	special rise
	long pause
	short pause
	optional pause
	falling head
	rising head
	sliding head
	low fall
	low rise
	high fall
	high rise
	fall-rise
	rise-fall

Section I

Vowels Contrasted



1. A). Listen and practise the following pairs of words. Mind the positional variation of vowel length:

eat – it

lead – lid

sheep – ship

reach – rich

week – wick

seat – sit

bean – bin

evening – England

Peter – pity

leader – litter

reader – riddle

recently – incident

scenery – signature

eagerness – dignity

Bart – but

cart – cut

large – lunch

start – struck

sharp – shut

basket – bucket

classes – cluster

bargain – butter

carpet – courage

cardinal – customer

b). Listen to the eight sentences and mark the stressed syllables.

1. I was wondering if you might like to come out with me.

2. We’d like that very much.

3. Perhaps you could let me know tomorrow.

4. Fancy coming out for a drink?

5. Do you want to come round, or shall I see you in the pub?

6. I don’t really feel like going out tonight actually.

7. When did you have in mind?

8. Well, I was going to see Perkins.

Now, rewind, listen again and repeat each sentence.

“A foreigner who speaks a language with correct stressing and intonation but with incorrect sounds (within reasonable limits) will be better understood by natives than one whose sounds are correct but whose stressing and intonation are poor”

(R.Kington)

“Intonation may be defined as such a unity of speech melody, sentence-stress, voice timbre and the tempo of speech which enables the speaker to express adequately the meaning of sentences, his attitude towards the contents and his emotions”

(V.A.Vassilyev)

c). Learn the proverbs. Divide the sentences into intonation groups, lay stresses and tone marks. Define the component parts in each intonation group. Give tonograms.

Model:

A friend in need | is a friend indeed ||

1. Honey is sweet, but the bee stings.

2. Eat at pleasure, drink with measure.

3. Still waters run deep.

4. Well begun is half done.

5. He laughs best who laughs last.

6. A hard nut to crack.

7. What is done cannot be undone.

d). Use one of the proverbs in your own situation.

Mind that statements as well as other communicative types of utterances (questions, imperatives, exclamations) are represented in speech by several variants, which are distinguished by intonation. Each variant conveys a certain type of the speaker’s attitude to the listener and to the subject matter.

I. Straightforward statements take the nuclear Falling Tone, which can be High or Low according to its initial pitch. Statements pronounced with any of these pitch variations of the Falling Tone are final and categoric in character. At the same time each of them conveys a different attitude of the speaker to the situation and to the listener. Thus statements with High Fall sound light, airy and have the effect of the speaker’s personal participation in the situation, Low Fall gives a categoric, weighty character to statements.

II. Statements pronounced with a nuclear Falling-Rising Tone are known as implicit statements. The implication may be that of contradiction, contrast, hesitation, apology, warning.

III. Friendly statements are pronounced with the nuclear Low Rising Tone. These utterances sound warm, lively, non-categoric or incomplete, unfinished indicating that a continuation is going to follow.