Phonetics studies: 1) speech sounds; 2) the syllable structure of words; 3) word stress; 4) intonation (prosody). These 4 components constitute what is called the pronunciation of English.
The course is based on the type of English pronunciation which is known as “Received Pronunciation” (RP). This ‘prestige’ accent is associated with respectable sociable standing and a good education. It can be found anywhere in Great Britain and tells us only about a person’s social or educational background. It is a regionally ‘neutral’ accent that is why it is more widely understood than any regional variant of English. In the 1920s the BBC adopted RP, and it is still the standard accent of the Royal Family, Parliament and the Church of England, the High Courts and other national institutions. But RP is no longer as widely used today as it was 60 years ago – less than 3 per cent of the British people speak it in a pure form now. But it has been thoroughly described in linguistic literature and is easily understood throughout the English-speaking world, that is why RP is adopted as the teaching norm for foreign learners.
To have a good pronunciation means:
- to articulate all the speech sounds and their combinations properly (both in isolated and in connected speech);
- to pronounce sentences fluently at the necessary speed with correct stresses, melody, timbre, rhythm and pauses.
Acquiring good pronunciation habits is no easy. Firstly, the learners must understand the phonetic structure of English and know how to produce correct sounds and intonation. Secondly, they must do a lot of ear-training to develop their phonemic hearing which is the ability to differentiate the smallest shades of sounds and melody changes. (Listening to native speakers is very helpful in this respect). Thirdly, they must be involved in intensive articulatory and imitative practice (which also implies a good deal of memory work) to make pronunciation skills natural and automatic. If you practice intelligently, you are sure to achieve good results and feel an artist’s satisfaction.
Section 2
[ ı ]
(front-retracted, close (broad variant), unrounded, short)
I. Observe the position of the lips and the tongue for the sound [ı]. Read the words
in the columns. Pay attention to the positional length of [ı].
in if [i:- ı]sheep - ship fill - feel
is it bean – bin bid - bead
big bit eat - it fit - feet
thing thick seat -sit Tim - team
give gift leek – lick hit - heat
him hit cheek - chick pit - peat
lid lip cheap - chip tin - teen
kid kiss heel – hill pick - peak
gin gist peel - pill dill - deal
II. Read the sentences. Follow the tonetic marks.
1. It isn’t cricket. Это нечестно.
2. It’s the limit! Это уж слишком!
3. Biddy is quits with Billy. Бидди свела счеты с Билли.
4. Willie’s quick-witted. Вилли очень умен.
5. It isn’t his business, is it? Ведь это не его дело, правда?
6. Christie will fill the bill. Кристи будет гвоздем программы.
7. If it isn’t Philip! Кого я вижу! Филипп!
8. It is bringing grist to his mill. Это вода на его мельницу.
9. Tilly is niminy-piminy. Тилли – манерная, жеманная особа
10. Lisbet is still on the sick-list. Лизбет еще на больничном листе
III. Observe the correct pronunciation of the rhythmic groups and the vowel [ı].
He is `swimming.| He is 'swimming in the `river.| He is 'swimming in the 'river
with `Tim.| 'Will you 'come in, | he’s 'swimming in the 'river with `Tim.||
IV. Match the following English idioms, proverbs and sayings with their Russian
equivalents. Make up situations to illustrate their usage.
1. bit by bit a. Слезами горю не поможешь
2. Sink or swim b. прожигать жизнь
3. It’s no use crying over spilt milk. c. Либо пан, либо пропал
4. live it up d. мало - помалу
5. alive and kicking e. точная копия кого-либо
6. the living image of smb f. полный жизни (жив-здоров)
7. be in with g. тем временем
8. in the interim h. быть в хороших отношения
IV. Practise saying the tongue twisters. Observe the correct articulation of [ı].
1. It’s a pity, little Kitty lives in a big city.
2. Tim is thin as a pin, but it isn’t sin to be thin.
3. Critical cricket critic.
4. A fitful young fisher named Gabriel Fisher
Once fished for some fish in a fissure,
Till a fish with a grin pulled the fisherman in –
Now they are fishing the fissure for Fisher.
5 [ı - i:] I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet I sleep.
Section 3
I. Test.Tick the words you recognize in the sentences you hear:
1. a) sheep; b) ship
2. a) bean; b) bin
3. a) cheeks; b) chicks
4. a) cheap; b) chip
5. a) heel; b) hill
6. a) peel; b) pill
II. Listen to the dialogue and learn it by heart.
An Interesting Film
Bill: Is Tim in?
Lyn: Is he coming to the pictures?
Mrs. Smith: Tim’s ill.
Bill: Here he is! Hello, Tim.
Tim: Hello, Bill.
Lyn: Are you ill, Tim?
Tim: Is it an interesting film?
Lyn: It’s Big Jim and the Indians.
Bill: And it begins in six minutes.
Mrs. Smith: If you’re ill, Tim…
Tim: Quick! Or we’ll miss the beginning of the film!
