Syllabus
* Winter semester
The subject of phonetics as a scientific discipline
The sound aspect of the communication process
Speech organs
Vocalic system, primary vowels
Diphthongs, modified vowels
Consonantal system, phonetic features
Plosives
Fricatives
Affricates and nasals
Approximants
Assimilation and coarticulation
Elision of speechsounds
Connected speech, boundary phenomena and juncture
* Summer semester
Syllable structure, phonotactics
Vowel reduction - the mid central vowel
Neutralization of systemic oppositions
Weak forms of synsemantic words
Word stress - acoustic nature, distribution
Stress in lexical derivations
Stress in lexical compounds
Rhythmical structure of utterances
Metrical structure of language and eurhythmy
Tone inventory of English
Intonation structure of tone-units
Linguistic functions of intonation
Affective functions of intonation
Annotation
The course introduces the description of segmental and suprasegmental sound structure of English. After an elementary explanation of terminology and speech organs, the students learn the system of English speechsounds from the articulatory and perceptual viewpoints.
The acoustical viewpoint is presented only to a limited extent, while the functional viewpoint is covered especially in relation to comparing the major dialects of English. The description of individual speech segments is accompanied by basic orthographical principles of modern English.
The suprasegmental area emphasizes the standard stress and rhythm; the latter is analyzed and subsequently practiced along with specific features of reductions in English and resyllabification in connected speech. The information on English intonation is focused phonologically.
Course work includes continuous formation of new articulatory and closely related descriptive skills of the students.