THEORY OF PHONETICS

Lecture 1.

Phonetics as a branch of Linguistics

Plan:
1. 2. 3. 4. The role of sound in communication. A definition of Phonetics & its subject matter. Types of Phonetics and methods of investigation. The place of Phonetics among other branches of Linguistics. 5. Practical and theoretical significance of Phonetics.

1. The role of sound in communication.

100% (total impression):

How do sounds contribute to the process of communication? Human communication is based on exchanging messages. To convey a message a person can use a variety of visual or audible means.

Information can be transmitted :

56% - non-verbal means 37% - through intonation 7% - verbally

Whilst the medium may vary, the message does not.

Phonetics
studies the human noises by which the message is actualized or given audible shape: the nature of those noises, their combinations, their function in relation to the message.

Stages in the passing of the spoken message

Speaker C (H) Brain F NP Vocal Organs Air Ear NP H (F) Brain C Listener

Stages in the passing of a spoken message & the brain functions

Creative function Forwarding function Hearing & creative function

Creative function
This is the central function and it is through it that the message is conceived and formed. Stored in the brain is a profound knowledge of the way in which the language operates. Every individual's store is to a greater or lesser extent different from everyone else's. But if we are to communicate efficiently there must be a sufficient stock of common information at our disposal.

Forwarding function
The part of the brain which is concerned with controlling muscular movements now sends out patterned instructions in the form of nervous impulses along the nervous pathways connecting the brain to the muscles of the organs responsible for speech sounds, the lungs, larynx, tongue, etc. These instructions call upon the muscles concerned to perform various delicate combinations and sequences of movement which will result in the 'right' sounds being emitted in the 'right' order.

Hearing Function
The impulses coming from the ear are accepted as sound sequences of constantly changing quality and characteristic length, pitch, loudness. The listener hears the message but does not yet understand it. To understand the message the listener must interpret the sounds he hears in accordance with the stored knowledge in his brain.

2. A definition of Phonetics & its subject matter.

Phonetics is that branch of linguistics which studies the sounds of language.

Phonetics
is an independent branch of linguistics which studies and gives a systematic description of the sound structure of languages.

The sound structure of languages

Speech sounds (their production, perception and acoustic characteristics) Rules governing the combination of speech sounds into syllables and larger phonological constructions The phenomena of stress, rhythm and intonation Correlation between spoken and written language

3. Types of Phonetics and methods of investigation.

1. 2. 3. 4. Articulatory (physiological) Acoustic Auditory (perceptive) Phonological or functional (linguistic)

Other types of phonetics:

General Phonetics
(studies speech sounds of the languages of the world)

Special Phonetics
(deals with the sound system of a given language)

Special Phonetics
Descriptive Historical/diachronic Comparative Dialectology Normative/orthoepic Clinical/speech Voice training Telephonic Speech recognition

Which type of Phonetics did Professor Higgins practise?

My Fair Lady Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison Film Date, 1964 Warner Bros.

Some dates from the history of phonetic development

1829 laryngoscope was invented 1852 first observations of the vocal cords were made 1877 gramophone was invented 1866 International Phonetic Association (IPA) was founded. IPA started publications of a special phonetic magazine It stated phonetic symbols for sounds of many existing languages.

Was there a real Professor Higgins?

 Rex Harrison's character, Henry Higgins, was based on Daniel Jones, a leading British phonetician of the early 20th century, author of the first Pronunciation Dictionary.

Which linguist was invited as a phonetics consultant for the film My Fair Lady?

Peter Ladefoged
Professor of Linguistics, 1925 2006
advised on equipping Henry Higgins's phonetics lab made all the phonetic transcriptions seen onscreen it is his voice heard producing the vowel sounds

Major publications
A Course in Phonetics, Peter Ladefoged Vowels and Consonants, Peter Ladefoged

4.The place of Phonetics among other branches of Linguistics.

Non- linguistic Acoustics Physiology Psychology Logic Linguistic Grammar Lexicology Stylistics

Links of Phonetics with Grammar

System of rules of reading Sound interchange Intonation component

Links of Phonetics with Lexicology

Stress Homographs Homonymous words and word groups

Links of Phonetics with Stylistics

Through intonation Graphical expressive means Repetition of words, phrases and sounds Alliteration Onomatopoeia

5. Practical and theoretical significance of phonetics.

Vocal component
Stress Pace Intonation Volume Pauses Voice Techniques Rhetorical devices

The longest recorded pause

- England would have her neck wrung like a chicken - Some chicken... Some neck. [Pause.]

Winston Churchills address to the Canadian Parliament in 1941

Plan:
1. 2. 3. 4. The role of sound in communication. A definition of Phonetics & its subject matter. Types of Phonetics and methods of investigation. The place of Phonetics among other branches of Linguistics. 5. Practical and theoretical significance of Phonetics.

Seminar 1 Question List

1. What role does sound play in communication? 2. How does a single act of communication happen? 3. What is the subject-matter of phonetics? 4. How is Phonetics connected with other sciences? 5. What are the branches of Phonetics? 6. What is the practical and theoretical significance of Phonetics?

Recommended Literature
A Theoretical Course of English Phonetics by S.F. Leontyeva Encyclopaedia of the English Language by D. Crystal