Phonetics II

UNIT 1

Las ciencias lingüísticas (linguistic studies) 

There are two sciences concerned with languages: Linguistics and Phonetics. Linguistics is concerned with how a language is structured grammatically and semantically; while Phonetics is interested in sounds and how they are organized.

[...more info: history]
Fernand de Saussure led the development of linguistics concentrated on the language's current state as opposed to studying its history. This science provided the techniques to describe and record languages which were bound to become extinct. On the other hand, Phonetics arose in England in the sixteenth century as the science that studied the relationship between spelling and sound. Later in the nineteenth century the International Phonetic Association was founded.

Fonética y fonología: contribución a los estudios lingüísticos (Phonetics and Phonology)

Phonetics is concerned about the sounds of a language and phonology about the sound system of language. Phonology is the link between Phonetics and Linguistics because it uses the information about articulation, acoustics and audition provided by Phonetics in order to describe the process of encoding/decoding that takes place in the interpreting and production of grammar and semantic structures, which is under the linguist domain.

> Fonologia suprasegmental

There are many contrasts between sounds that are not only the results of difference between phonemes. Stress and intonation are also important. For example, if we pronounce the word "import" with a stress in the first syllable we treat that word as a noun but in the case when the stress is put in the second syllable, we deal with a verb. Another way of showing contrast between sounds is by intonation. In the word "right" a raising voice while pronouncing it means that we are inviting our listener to answer or continue with what he or she is saying, but if such word has a falling voice, the word is interpreted as a confirmation.
> Elementos suprasegmentales del sistema fonológico

UNIT 2

> Lenguaje y habla (language; production of speech)

Comunicacion (communication: speech, writing and redundancy)

Communication is the act of transmitting messages by means of one of two sensory stimulation: auditory or visual. Spoken language is carried out by auditory stimulus, and writing is the visual representation of spoken language. The downside of writing is that it isn't very effective in capturing all the features common to spoken language. The information that can be transmitted through stress, intonation, tone, etc., simply can't be accounted for in writing.

When speaking about communication, it's worth mentioning redundancy as a feature of speech. For example, if there's noise in the physical context of communication or perhaps grammar inconsistencies, an utterance can still be understood thanks to the redundancy. When we speak, the context provides far more information than it is needed, and this helps make up for any disturbance in the communication chain.


> La producción del habla

> Descripcion y clasificacion fonetica y fonologia de los sonidos del habla

UNIT 3

> Naturaleza de los aspectos suprasegmentales: descripción de los aspectos suprasegmentales en lengua inglesa

Acentuación y prominencia

Stress is the relative degree of force with which a sound or syllable is uttered. There are three factors that combine to signal stress. First, stressed syllables are pronounced with higher frequency, which is heard as higher pitch. Secondly, they're perceived as longer. Thirdly, they're louder.

The combination of those phonetic factors allow us to contrast stressed from unstressed syllables, as well as a intermediate level of stressed called secondary stress.

In regards to prominence, a common misconception is to think it is the same as stressed. However, in reality stress is an element contributing to prominence. We talk about prominence in a succession of words (rather than in individual words) particular syllables or words are "more strongly stressed" than others. This is achieved with one or a combination of three sound attributes: length, stress and intonation.

Acentuacion lexica

There are two levels of stress: word stress and sentence stress. The first is the one that's also referred to as Lexical pronunciation, and it is the pronunciation given to a word as it's pronounced in isolation. However, sentence stress or lexical stress (not to be confused with "lexical pronunciation") takes into account the modification a word undergoes in the context of a sentence.

Therefore, while word stress (lexical pronunciation) is fixed, sentence stress (lexical stress) is a deliberate action to put emphasis on a specific word or syllable within an utterance.

Unit 4

Ritmo y entonación

Nociones básicas: frase entonacional, prominencia y tonos

Unit 5

La pronunciation del ingles como lengua global o internacional

Recursos y técnicas para la enseñanza y aprendizaje de la pronunciación del ingles