Section 1
Make a careful study of the text below and pick out the terms related to phonetics.
Modification of Vowels in Connected Speech. Reduction
It is known that both vowels and consonants are very seldom said in isolation. They combine into words, and words combine into phrases and sentences. Isolated phonemes retain all their qualities. But in connected speech they are modified and undergo some changes. Certain segments have a tendency to run together; extra segments may be added to ensure smoothness of speech; some segments adopt a less clearly defined phonetic form; and some completely disappear.
In English as well as in Russian vowels in unstressed syllables are usually reduced, i.e. lose certain qualities in some degree. However, the laws of reduction in these languages are not the same. In the Russian language the farther the unstressed syllable is away from the stressed one, the weaker it is: e.g. [ΛÓ]. In English the reduced form of almost any vowel or diphthong in the unstressed position is represented by [ə], [ı] or [u]. The vowels a, o, u are usually reduced to [ ә ], e, i, y to [ı ].
Reduction is a historical process of weakening, shortening or disappearance of vowel sounds in unstressed position.
Here are the examples, which show how the shift of stress may result in reducing unstressed vowels.
combine [`kɔmbaın] combine [kəm`baın]
project [`prɔdӡəkt] project [[prə`dӡekt]
Three different types of reduction may be noticed in English:
1) quantitative (shortening of the vowel length): [hi:] [hi. ] - [hi],
2) qualitative (weakening of a vowel): but [bət], should [∫əd], can [kən],
3) zero (= elision) (disappearance of a vowel sound):
Im [aım], hes [hız], shant [∫α:nt], can [kn].
Non-reduced unstressed sounds are often retained in: 1) compound words
(e.g. blackboard, airport); 2) borrowings from French and other languages (e.g. architect, kolkhoz, photograph); 3) the words with final unstressed o, which is never reduced (e.g. sambo [`sæmbəu], solo [`səuləu], radio [`reıdıəu]);
The following recommendations may be given to Russian learners, as far as reduction is concerned:
- make reduced vowels very weak,
- never concentrate on their pronunciation;
- look up unknown words in the dictionary to find out the correct pronunciation.
Section 2
[ :]
(central, mid (narrow variant), unrounded, long)
I. Observe the position of the lips and the tongue for the sound [:]. Read the
words in the columns. Pay attention to the positional length of [:].
sir serve surf [ - : ]four - fir
fir firm first torn - turn
her heard hurt warm - worm
burr bird burst ward - word
blurr term learn walk - work
purr purred pert board - bird
err earn irk short - shirt
II. Read the sentences. Follow the tonetic marks.
|
|
|
1. Certainly, sir. , .
2. Ive overheard the word. .
3. Ill turn in early. .
4. A worm will turn. .
5. Repeat the verse word for word. .
6. The work will serve no purpose. .
7. My girl has her bursts of work.
.
8. Birdies the observed of all observes. .
9. Ernest is determined to learn German.
.
10. Under the circumstances Dirk
preferred to earn his living.
.
III. Match the following English idioms, proverbs and sayings with their Russian
equivalents. Make up situations to illustrate their usage.
1. First come first served. a.
2. Its an early bird that catches the worm. b. , .
3. The workman is known by his work. c.
4. put in a (good) word d. ,
5. on the spur of the moment e. .
6. One good term deserves another. f.
7. to learn the ropes g. /
8. burn the earth h.
IV. Observe the correct pronunciation of the rhythmic groups and the vowel [:].
The 'nurse told nursery tales. | 'Nightly the 'nurse told nursery tales. | 'Nightly the 'nurse told 'nursery tales about gnomes. | 'Nightly the 'nurse told 'nursery tales about 'gnomes to the `twins. ||
V. Pronounce the tongue twister in the quickest possible way. Observe the correct
articulation of [:].
An earl gave Pearl a fur and a circlet of pearls for her thirty-first birthday.
Section 3
I. Test. Tick the words you recognize in the sentences you hear.
1. a) bed; b) bud; c) bird
2. a) Bens; b) buns; c) burns
3. a) ward; b) word
4. a) walk; b) work
5. a) short; b) shirt
6. a) or; b) er
II. Listen to the dialogue and learn it by heart.
The Worst Nurse
Sir Herbert: Nurse!
Colonel Burton: Nurse! Im thirsty!
Sir Herbert: Nurse! My head hurts!
Colonel Burton: NURSE!
Sir Herbert: Curse these nurses!
Colonel Burton: Nurse Sherman always wears such dirty shirts.
Sir Herbert: And such short skirts.
Colonel Burton: She never arrives at work early.
Sir Herbert: She and er Nurse Turner werent at work on Thursday,
were they?
Colonel Burton: No, they werent.
Sir Herbert: Nurse Sherman is the worst nurse in the ward, isnt she?
Colonel Burton: No, she isnt. Shes the worst nurse in the world!
