Assignment May Semester, 2009

May Semester, 2009

English phonetics and Phonology

Give in-text citation where necessary.

Main focus of this assignment

A. The differences in the way they pronounce the vowels in the selected

    words.

   

General Aspect: 

You may show all the basic vowels in Vowel Quadrilateral.  Then you

briefly explain the general aspect of vowels.  Of course, for the vowels

which are used in underlined words especially, you have to  briefly

describe.

   

Specific Aspect

The differences in the way the two speakers you have chosen  pronounce the vowels in the selected words.  You just ask them to read  the 6 sentences without any preparation at all. 

You may record their speech in tape or CD.  Then you analyse  how

they  pronounced the vowel speech sounds of the underlined words in

6 sentences.  Always give relevant examples to explain.

     

B.  The differences in the way they pronounce the consonants in

     the selected words.

General Aspect:

You may show the basic features of all the consonant phonemes in table.  Then you briefly describe the 3 features to identify the different consonants, especially the ones which you find in the underlined words.

Specific Aspect:

The differences in the way the two speakers pronounce the

consonants in the selected words.  You may describe the

differences in terms of  places and manners of articulation.  

In other words, you show why they produced different speech sounds.  As we know different sounds are produced due to the wrong places / manners of articulations.  Give relevant examples to explain.

  

C.  The effects of the consonants preceding and following the

     vowels in each of the selected words.

General Aspect:

Briefly define what syllable is.  A consonant can be  syllable-releasing and syllable-arresting.  Explain what syllable-releasing and arresting is. For example the word ‘several’  ['sevrəl].  There are 2 syllables ['sev-rəl].  The / s / consonant phoneme is syllable-releasing and /v/ is syllable-arresting in the first syllable;  /r/ is syllable-releasing and /l/ is syllable-arresting.

Specific Aspect:

Explain the effects of the consonants preceding and following the vowels in each of the selected words.  You may express the conditions in a tree program or in table.  In other words, you are asked to express the words in syllable structures.  Please refer to Topic 3.

D.  Your reflections on the patterns emerging from your analysis.

General Aspect:

What insight and understanding you gain through this process.

Specific Aspect:

Discuss the findings related to vowel  and consonant speech sounds.

Conclusions of the findings:  (deduction and induction)

What general rules you have discovered. 

Implication of the Findings: 

Any recommendations?