In the name of Allah the most beneficent

In the name of Allah, the most beneficent, the most merciful 1

THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE SOUNDS AND SPEECH BY MUHAMMAD AKRAM MANKASH 2

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English Language - Historical Perspective Vikings Normans Early ME Later ME th th 15 C-18 C 18 th. C-Till date 5 th C – 11 th C LWG Dialect Angles Celts & Romans 11 th C – 15 th C – 17 th C Renaissance Saxons Jutes Danes Frisians French, Italian and Spanish 4

Dialects of English Language • • • Northumbrian ( North of the Humber ) Southumbrian (Mercian)) South of the Humber West Saxon ( In the Kingdom of Wessex ) Kentish ( In Kent ) Standard Verities of English Language Ø British English (Br. E) Ø American English (Am. E) Ø Canadian English (Ca. E) Ø Australian English (Au. E) Ø African English (Af. E) Ø Asian English (As. E) 5

Dialects of English Language 6

Verities of English Language 7

Language Defined • “Language is an “Organized Noise” used in actual social situations”. • “A system of conventional, spoken or written symbols by means of which human beings, as members of a social group and participants in its culture, communicate” (Encyclopaedia Britannica) 8

Language Defined (Cont’d) • “Language is primarily human and noninstinctive method of communicating ideas, emotions and desires by means of a system of voluntarily produced symbols”. (Edward Sapir, 1884 -1939) • “Language is in its widest sense means the sum total of such signs of our thoughts and feelings as are capable of external perception and as could be produced and repeated at will”. (A. H. Gardiner, 1935) 9

Language Defined (Cont’d) • “A system of the expression of thought by means of speech sounds”. (Henry Sweet, 1845 -1912) • “A system of communication by sound i. e. through the organs of speech and hearing, among human beings of a certain group or community, using vocal symbols possessing arbitrary conventional meanings”. (Mario A. Pei & Frank Ganor, 1954 ) 10

Language Defined (Cont’d) • “The innate capacity of native speaker to understand form grammatical sentences”. (Noam Chomsky, 1950) • Language, a faculty of speech encompassing: (i) Words, their use and applicability (ii) A widespread prevalent system of words in countries/ professions/cross cultures. (iii) Style and expression, a blend of speech and gestures (iv) Symbols and rules governed under a system that continue to develop and grow capable of meeting the emerging demands of time. • Language is a complex phenomenon and cannot be defined in exact form. 11

Human Language Vs Animal Communication System • • • Unlimited & infinite Open system Extendable & modifiable Flexible & full of variety Non-instinctive Acquired Conditioned by geography Full of novelty & creativity Cognitive & behavioural Blend of philology & phonology Descriptive & narrative • • • Limited & finite Closed system Un-extendable & un-modifiable inflexible & without variety Instinctive Inherited Not conditioned by geography Bereft of novelty & creativity Only behavioural Devoid of grammaticality Non-Descriptive & non-narrative 12

Speech Vs Writing • Composed of sounds • Composed of letters, signs & symbols • Makes use of intonation, pitch, • Makes use of punctuations & graphological devices rhythm and tempo • Produced with the help of tools • Produced with vocal organs • Relatively permanent • Transitory • Perceived by eyes • Perceived by ears • Addressee absent • Addressee in attendance • Immediate response/feedback • No Feedback or delayed • Message restricted to context • Gestures support message • Non-Spontaneous • Logical • Associative • Accepted despite speech errors • Demands form, fashion, pattern & principles of language writing • More effective, moving and • Takes a great effort to cast result oriented impression 13

§English Language §An Outline §Substance §Form §Content §(Material Aspects) §(Environmental Aspects)§(Structural Aspects) Linguistic Signs Verbal Aspects • Evolutionary • Etymology • Philology • Synchronic / Descriptive • Diachronic / Historical • Sociological • Eco / Green • Ethno • Applied • Structural Semiotics (Signs & Symbols) LINGUISTICS Nonlinguistic Signs Non-Verbal Aspects Arts • Music • Paintings • Photography • Ceramics • Architecture • Dance • Sculpture Gestures Kinesics • Body Language • Gestures • Facial Expressions Proxemics • Variation in Postures • Tactile • Distances 14

Linguistics Applied Linguistics Ø Semantics Ø Pragmatics Ø Forensic Linguistics Ø Stylistics ØTranstology ØLexicography ØPhraseology Ø Discourse Analysis § Spoken §Written ØLanguage/Speech Disorders § Aphasia § Dyslexia § Aphonia § Asemia Structural Linguistics Morphology Lexicology Syntax & Grammar Phonology Phonetics Phonemics Orthography 15

Some of the Areas of the Brain involved in Language Processing Broca's area Wernicke's area Supramarginal gyrus Angular gyrus Primary auditory cortex 16

§THE LIMBS OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE §Phonology §Morphology §Lexicology §Morpheme §Lexical §Grammatical §Free §Bound §Inflectional §Derivation §Syntax §Semantics §Pragmatics §Grammar 17

The Limbs of English Language (Cont’d) • Morphology: The formation and composition of words • Syntax: The connection , formation and composition of phrases and sentences • Grammar: Rules for standard use of words and how their component parts combine to form sentences. A system for classifying and analyzing elements of language including inflections, functions, rules and relations in the sentence. • Semantics: Deals with the meaning of words and how meaning is inferred from words and concepts. • Pragmatics: How meaning is inferred from context? • Stylistics: A branch in between linguistics and literary criticism which studies the principles and results of the choice and usage of lexical, grammatical, phonetics and other language means with the aim of transmuting ideas 18 and emotion in different communication settings.

LEVELS OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE Ø Office Language Ø Managers Language Ø Executive Language Ø Legislative Language Ø Mass Media Language 19

FEW TERMS DEFINED • Elision The none realization of phoneme wherewith omission of a sound during casual conversation occurs causing ambiguity in understanding the meaning. is called. E. g library (pronounced in rapid speech as /laibri/ and schedule pronounced as /∫ədul /. • Intonation The rise and fall of voice while speaking. This also implies the pitch and rhythm during a talk or conversation. • Tone The degree to which the sound of a word or part of a word is high or low • Mute A letter that is not pronounced • Silent A silent letter in a word is that has no sound whether written or spoken. 20

FEW TERMS DEFINED • Accent The characteristic feature of pronunciation of a person or group, especially that belongs to a particular social group or geographical location. • The frictionless continuant /r/ A consonant pronounced with an open approximation of the articulators so that air passes between them without any friction. It is pronounced with the tip of the tongue turned back against the roof of the mouth. (the sound is vowel like) • The Varites of /r/ sound Rolled lingual Flapped lingual Fricative lingual Rolled uvular Fricative uvular r r ɹ r r 21

The Elephant’s Child I keep six honest serving-men. They taught me all I knew, Their names are what, why and when And how and where and who. Rudyard Kipling 22

Why to Learn & Teach English Phonetics & Phonology • Orthographically identical vowels / letters but different sounds e. g minute , minute, wind {Heteronyms(Homograph)} • Phonologically identical vowels / letters but different spellings e. g sea, see, buffet, bouquet {(Heteronyms(Homophone)} • Free and unpredictable Word Stress placement. • More complex Intonation System. • Only 4. 1 % of the world languages have over 17 vowel sounds whereas English has 20 vowel sounds, a complex vowel sound system. (Maddieson-1984) • The English Language Consonant System includes Dental Fricatives, not very common sounds in world’s Languages. (John Wells, 1939 - till date) • Silent Alphabet (letters) in the spelling sequence pose difficulty and behave as mischievous specters. 23

Why to Learn & Teach English Phonetics & Phonology • Orthographically identical vowels / letters but different sounds e. g minute , minute, wind. {Heteronyms(Homograph)} • Phonologically identical vowels / letters but different spellings e. g sea, see, buffet, bouquet. {(Heteronyms(Homophone)} • Free and unpredictable Word Stress Placement. • More complex Intonation System. • Silent Alphabet (letters) in the spelling sequence pose difficulty and behave as mischievous specters. • Retention of phonological character of borrowed words and British Received Pronunciation (BRP) factor. 24

Phonology deals with the system and pattern of speech sounds in a language. Phonology of a language is the system and pattern of speech sounds 25

§Phonology §Phonetics §Auditory §Acoustic §Phonemics §Articulatory §Consonants §(Contoids) §Vowels §(Vocoids) § 24 Sounds § 20 Sounds §Pure Vowels (12) §Forensic §Suprasegmenta §Stress §Long (5) §Pitch §Short (7) §Tempo §Diphthongs (8) §Tone §Intonation 26

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Breath, Voice and Whisper • Breath: When the vocal cords are held wide apart (glottis open) and air passes between them causing no vibration, the sound so produced is called Breath. • Voice: When the vocal cords are drawn near together and air is forced between them so that they vibrate, the sound produced is called voice. • Whisper: If the false vocal cords are drawn towards each other leaving only a narrow space for the air to pass between them, the resulting sound is called whisper and is one variety. 28

Vowels and Consonants • Vowel A vowel is any sound with no audible noise produced by constriction in the vocal tract. • Consonant A consonant is a sound with audible noise produced by a constriction, i. e sound made by stopping all or some of the air going out of mouth. 29

VOWELS DEFINED • “A pure vowel is one for which the organs of speech remain in a given position for an appreciable period of time. A diphthong is a vowel sound consisting of a deliberate, i. e. intentional glide , the organs of speech starting in the position of one vowel and immediately moving in the direction of another vowel” (P eter Mac Carthy) 30

VOWELS EXPLAINED • Vowel. A sound that you make when you speak without closing your mouth or throat • Semi-vowel A speech sound that is sometimes pronounced as a vowel but is considered to be a consonant, for example ‘y’ • Tense Vowel Pronounced with a great amount of muscular tension • Lax Vowel Pronounced with a very little amount of muscular tension • Open vowel Pronounce with tongue on the bottom of mouth • Close vowel Pronounced with tongue near the top of mouth • Schwa A vowel sound used in unstressed syllables, for example the sound of ‘a’ in ‘above’. Its symbol is /ə/. 31

Types of English Vowels • Monothongs: (pure vowels/ single vowel sound-Long&short) A speech sound (pulmonic egressive air) issued in a continuous stream through the pharynx and mouth without any obstruction or narrowing which could cause audible friction. • Diphthongs: (Double vowels or vowel glides) A speech sound in one syllable (an independent vowel-glide not containing within itself either a peak or trough) in which the speech (articulation) begins in the position of one vowel and moves in the direction of another vowel appearing as single vowel. • Triphthongs: A speech sound , a glide from one vowel to another and then to third, all produced rapidly and without interruption. 32

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English diphthongs Tongue moves to /υ/ 35

Examples of Vowels Monothongs: Ø Ø Ø Ø BEET, TEACH , WEEK, MEET, BLEAK PIT, KIT, LIT, BIT, PITY, HONEY, BUSY ASK, PASS, FATHER, PALM, HALF, CAR TALK, WALK, FORTY, LAW, WAR, TORN GOT, COT, SORRY, WHAT, DOLL, WATCH FOOD, RULE, RUSE, TOMB, LOOSE, CRUISE GOOD, SUGAR, WOULD, COULD, WOOL, PUT Ø SHUT, DONE, MOTHER, SUN, FLOOD, BLOOD Ø SERVE, BIRD, WORSE, FUR, LEARN, BURN, WORK Ø BLACK, SHADOW, VALUE, MAN, BAD, MAD, GLAD Ø GET, FRIEND, DEAF, TEN, TREAD, BREAKFAST, MEN 36

Examples of Vowels Diphthongs: Ø DAY, BAKE, NATURE, PATIENT, HAY, PLAY, TRAY Ø Ø Ø BUY, BY, TRY, WHY, HIGH, CHILD, CHIDE, CYCLE BOY, VOICE, OIL, BOIL, TOIL, VOYAGE, POINT GO, COAT, SOW, COAL, ROLL HERE, CLEAR, DEAR, INTERIOR, BEAR, FEAR AIR, RARE, FLAIR, GLARE, AREA, VARIOUS POOR, CRUEL, TOUR, INFLUENCE TRIPHTHONGS: Ø PLAYER, LIAR, FIRE, LOYAL, HIRE, HIERARCHY 37

THANK YOU 38