College of Foreign Languages. Silesian Technical
University
Name of the course:
PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY
Term:
winter
Year and group:
IA, IB
Lecturer:
Dr Rafał Borysławski
e-mail:
Aims of the course:
acquainting the students with the basic concepts in phonetics and phonetic
mechanisms
teaching and practising the English vowel sounds
teaching and practising phonetic transcription of spoken and written words
teaching and improving students’ general English pronunciation
Course and course credit requirements:
regular class attendance (2 unexcused absences are permitted)
active participation in the class activities and phonetic drills
satisfactory results in phonetic tests (every 3
rd
class)
satisfactory result in final theoretical and practical test
Bibliography / Resources:
C. Gimson, An Introduction to the Pronunciation of English, (Edward Arnold, 1994)
J. D. O’Connor, Better English Pronunciation, (Cambridge University Press,1995)
Bronisława Bałutowa, Wymowa angielska dla wszystkich, (Wiedza Powszechna,
1972)
phonetic tests are based on: L. G. Alexander, Practice and Progress, (Longman,
1967)
Detailed course outline:
Week 1.
Introduction to the course. The phonetic alphabet.
Week 2.
The stages and mechanism of the speech chain.
Week 3.
Description and classification of the speech sounds,
place and manner of articulation.
Week 4.
The English vowels; Cardinal Vowel Scale, vowels
sheep and ship - [I], [i:]; phonetic transcription test.
Week 5.
Phoneme, allophone, complementary distribution and
other basic phonetic and phonological notions; further
practice of [I] and [i:].
Week 6.
Vowels bed, bad and bud - [e], [æ] and [ú].
Week 7.
Further practice of [e], [æ] and [ú]; phonetic
transcription test.
Week 8.
Vowels car and bud - [å:], [ú].
Week 9.
Vowels not and saw - [ó], [Ø:].
Week 10.
Vowels err and shwa - [¨:], [E], phonetic transcription
test.
Week 11.
Vowels look and Luke - [U], [u:].
Week 12.
Practice of all the vowels. Diphthongs - division and
classification.
Week 13.
Diphthongs bay, by, boy - [eI], [aI], [oI]; phonetic
transcription test.
Week 14.
Term test.
Week 15.
The remaining diphthongs - how, low, tear, bear, tour
- [aU], [EU], [IE], [eE], [UE]. Triphthongs. Assessment and the
close of the course.
International Phonetic Alphabet
English vowels:
i:
as in sheep
I
as in ship
e / ‰ as in bed
æ
as in bad
å:
as in father
ó
as in pot
Ø:
as in caught
U
as in put
u:
as in boot
ú
as in cut, bud
3:
as in bird
E
as in banana
English consonants:
tS
as in cheer
dZ
as in jump
3
as in thing
T
as in then
S
as in fish
Z
as in pleasure
N
as in sung
w
as in wet
j
as in yet
The following consonant
symbols have their usual
English values: b, d, f, h, k, l,
m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w, z
English diphthongs:
IE
as in b
eer
eE
as in b
ear
UE
as in b
oer
eI
as in b
ay
aI
as in b
uy
OI
as in b
oy
EU
as in b
ow
(noun), s
o
aU
as in b
ow
(verb)
