Сухарева_Теория фонетики

2010

Theoretical Phonetics of the English Language

Study Guide

Part 1. Phonetics

Учебно-методическое пособие для вузов Издательство Воронежского госуниверситета

Составитель: Е.Е. Сухарева

Утверждено Научно-методическим советом факультета РГФ ___ _______г., протокол № ___________

Рецензент: доктор филол. наук, проф. Л.В. Величкова

Учебно-методическое пособие подготовлено на кафедре теории перевода и межкультурной коммуникации факультета РГФ Воронежского государственного университета.

Рекомендуется для студентов 2 курса всех форм обучения.

Для специальности 031202 «Перевод и переводоведение».

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Введение

“Theoretical Phonetics of the English Language. Part 1. Phonetics” – первая часть учебно-методического пособия по курсу “Теоретическая фонетика английского языка”. Она фокусируется на проблеме функционирования звука в процессе коммуникации и на вопросах артикуляционной фонетики. В начале каждого раздела студенты знакомятся с основными понятиями и проблематикой темы, при этом им предлагаются вопросы, побуждающие к самостоятельному поиску и логическому анализу (рубрика “Stop and think”), даются ссылки на учебную и научную литературу.

Затем следуют вопросы по изученному материалу (рубрика “Stop and check”) и темы для обсуждения на практических занятиях.

Курс теоретической фонетики обязательно предполагает практический анализ звучащей речи, поэтому завершается каждый раздел серией практических заданий для работы с аудио- и видеоматериалом.

Литература:

1.Бурая Е.А. Фонетика современного английского языка. Теоретический курс: учебник для студ. лингв. вузов и фак. / Е.А. Бурая, И.Е. Галочкина, Т.И. Шевченко. – М.: Издательский центр “Академия”, 2006.

2.Шевченко Т.И. Теоретическая фонетика английского языка:

Учебник/Т.И. Шевченко.-2-е изд. стер. - М.: Высшая школа, 2009. – 191 с. (На англ.яз).

3.Л.В. Величкова, Е.В. Петроченко. Theoretische Phonetic. – Воронеж: Изд-во Воронежского госуниверситета, 2006.

4.О.О. Борискина, Н.В. Костенко. Theoretical Phonetics. Study Guide for second year students. – Воронеж 2007.

5.Щерба Л.В. Вступительная статья // Вводный курс фонетики немецкого языка / И.П. Сунцова. – М., 1958.

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6.Гумбольдт В. фон. Избранные труды по языкознанию / В. фон Гумбольдт. – М.: Прогресс, 1984. – 400 с.

7.Hewings M. English Pronunciation in Use. Advanced. Self-study and classroom use. Cambridge University Press, 2007.

8.Материалы сайта http://www.bl.uk/

Аудиоматериал включает материалы сайта http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/, а

также звучащие тексты к книгам Hewings M. English Pronunciation in Use. Advanced. Self-study and classroom use. Cambridge University Press, 2007. и D. Foll & A. Kelly. First Certificate Avenues. Cambridge University Press, 1997.

Задания к текстам разработаны в соответствии с задачами курса теоретической фонетики английского языка.

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Issues to Study and Discuss:

1.Sound in the Process of Communication.

2.Phonetics as a Science: Origin of Phonetics, Subject of Study, Methods, Branches and Objectives.

3.Applications of Phonetics.

1.Sound in the Process of Communication

Key words:

Success of communication, materializing a message, coded system, selective hearing, distinctive features, functional phonetics

Acting as a means of communication, language performs a most significant social function. Normally, the process of facilitating interpersonal communication goes smoothly. Such “trouble free” operation of a system called “Language” is explained by its coded structure: the system is comprised of certain symbols which allow encoding ANY human message. On the other hand, the crucial condition for successful communication is that the code used by the Speaker is familiar to the Hearer. The Speaker “transmits” the spoken message to the Hearer as if through a channel, using a certain code familiar to them both. Figuratively speaking, the Speaker and the Hearer should belong to the same “reception area”, if to use a term applied in physics. Undoubtedly, this code should be of a systemic character, as language is formed by a number of systems and subsystems, such as phonetic, lexical and grammatical systems.

Being a means of communication, language must have a material form of realization. But what is this material substance? The answer is the SOUND. Produced by the Speaker and received by the Hearer, the sound thus has an objective form of expression, being absolutely real and acoustically measurable.

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The following scheme designed by Prof. L. Velichkova clearly reflects functioning of the sound in the process of communication:

Sound

in the process of communication

Phoneme

║

Distinctive function

Linguistic (functional) level

The phoneme is a minimal functional linguistic unit realized in the form of speech sounds and used to distinguish meaning of morphemes and words.

Figuratively speaking, the Speaker and the Hearer can be represented as parts of a transmitter-receiver. The Hearer receives the “speech signal” issued by the Speaker in its objective form, i.e. as a complex of acoustics features which are able to be registered and measured by special equipment. However, it is vital to state the difference between the "perception" of speech by acoustic equipment and

Л.В. Величкова, Е.В. Петроченко. Theoretische Phonetic. – Воронеж: Изд-во Воронежского госуниверситета, 2006.

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aural perception by humans. The matter is that the Hearer’s brain DOES NOT register all the numerous acoustic characteristics of the phrase heard, because human ear is SELECTIVE. In the flow of speech it only catches features that are relevant for communication (essential for identifying the meaning of a word or phrase, or the Speaker’s communicative intention, i.e. functional, or DISTINCTIVE, features of the sound), and ignores all the "excess stuff" (irrelevant, non-functional features).

Thus, we can consider speech sounds in 4 aspects named hereby: articulatory, acoustic, auditory and functional phonetics. Traditionally, most study books focus on the first 3 aspects of phonetics, whereas its functional role is often underestimated. However, functional phonetics, or phonology, deserves to be counted an equal at the least, and paramount at the utmost part of the course as it is Phonology that secures successful delivery of a spoken message from the Speaker to the Hearer.

2. Phonetics as a science: Origin of Phonetics, Subject of Study, Methods, Branches and Objectives.

Key words:

special science, speech in communication, phonetic units, auditory analysis, instrumental analysis, methods of statistics

Origin of Phonetics.

The “birthplace” of phonetics is considered to be Ancient India. The idea of studying sounds was brought about by the need to understand Veda (1500 BC), i.e. sacred songs (brahmans) sang during religious ceremonies. The principal question for the priests was correct reading of brahmans, as those texts were believed to come from gods and so could no way be distorted or mispronounced. Ultimately, the interest to sounds and pronunciation is explained by the fact that in those times speech was thought to be a magic phenomenon and sounds were ascribed some

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magic features. For instance, all ancient sacred songs, spells and incantations were based on special use of sounds, certain rules of their placing and ordering; those rules not preserved, the songs or spells were believed to be of no effect.

The first description of a language was suggested by Panini (Ancient India, 300 or 400 BC). Panini’s grammar was mainly focused on phonetics and morphology of Sanskrit. It included a most detailed and accurate description of sound physiology and articulation. Besides, the book touched upon some principles of versification.

Subject of Study.

Phonetics is a special science, which stands apart from other linguistic disciplines, such as lexicology, grammar, stylistics, etc. as it is concerned with the oral aspect of the language (contrasted to written speech), studying the material (physiological and acoustic) and functional features of speech sounds and intonation.

The term “phonetics” originates from the Greek word “phonetikos”, which means “vocalic”, “related to sounds”. Consequently, at the early period of its development the aim of phonetics as a science was to study individual speech sounds. However, later the scope of phonetic studies widened greatly, and today phonetics is understood as a branch of linguistics concerned with the study of speech in human communication. It studies not only individual speech sounds and their behaviour in the flow of speech, but the whole sound matter of a language: sounds, syllables, stress and intonation.

The basic scope for phonetic studies is formed by phonetic units: speech sounds, syllables, word stress, rhythmic groups, phrases and spoken texts. These phonetic units act according to definite norms and rules of a language system, thus providing success of communication. They are small segments constituting a bigger entity called Speech.

As a branch of linguistics, phonetics studies sound patterns, their pronunciation, mutual relations and modifications in speech, i.e. the way language

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functions as a “code” of communication. The units of the sound system (phonetic units) are realized in speech, thus making it the subject of phonetic studies.

Methods.

Phonetics studies speech, its physiological, acoustic, perceptive and functional features, i.e. all the aspects of language as a means of communication. As a field of science, phonetics takes the middle part between natural and social sciences, which calls forth various methods to be applied:

phonetic observation

instrumental analysis

statistical analysis

Phonetic observation is understood as auditioning the test material, thus

being a so-called auditory method. The method of observation belongs to the scope of subjective methods of scientific investigation. As observation abilities of people are different, the results obtained from different hearers vary as well. However, such variations often lie in the same sphere and thus have regular character. Auditory phonetic investigation suggests surveying various groups of informants (test participants who audition the test material), phoneticians whose ear is “phonetically trained” and naïve native speakers. The auditory analysis is carried out by the researcher who develops the tasks, assesses, summarizes and describes the results. The aim of this method is to find out what features in the speech flow are registered by the Hearer’s brain as relevant for understanding meaning (“decoding” the message), and which ones are ignored as irrelevant.

Instrumental methods originally applied in physiology and physics were introduced into phonetics in the 2nd half of the 20th century in order to supplement and in fact to rectify “subjective” data of auditory analysis resulting from “imperfection” of perceptual facilities of the human brain. Instrumental methods require special equipment to register a) physiological and b) acoustic parameters of sounds and their sequences, photograph and measure them. This is the reason for contrasting instrumental analysis to auditory observation as an objective method of

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study. The equipment applied for studying physiology of speech included the following devices:

1.Pnemograph, to study the work of muscles and breath;

2.Electromiograph, to study bioelectric activity of respiratory apparatus, articulatory muscles and vocal cords;

3.Labiograph, to study lip movements.

To study acoustic quality of speech electro-acoustic equipment is required:

1.Spectrograph, to analyze sound frequency and intensity;

2.Intonograph, to analyze pitch variations;

3.Voice synthesizer, to produce speech.

Stop and think!

Within the last decades methods of instrumental analysis of speech have been rapidly developing. What results of this development are seen nowadays? In what spheres of life and science are they applied?

What do you think are advantages and disadvantages of instrumental and auditory analyses? Which of the methods do you think serves better to reveal the distinctive features of sounds?

Why are statistical methods applied in phonetic studies?

Branches of Phonetics.

As we see, speech is a very complicated phenomenon, each of its aspects being a separate subject for investigation. Thus, to study this entity different branches of phonetic science have to be applied. Here they are, each having its own objectives, subject and methods of study:

Articulatory phonetics

Acoustic phonetics

Auditory phonetics

Functional phonetics

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