The analysis of phonomaterials of modern textbooks for higher educabion

Стриженко Анна,

ЛПИ филиал СФУ

The goal of the article is to discover usage of American standard of pronunciation in modern textbooks’ phonomaterials for Higher Education.

Phonetics is of a great importance in teaching the foreign language because quality and accuracy of pronunciation have an influence on communicative possibilities of a person.

Articulatory skills include as follows:

- phonetic hearing giving a chance to hear sounds legibly and clearly during the conversation and  the teaching;

- accurate articulation allowing to pronounce sounds legibly and clearly.

Good pronunciation or phonetics is formed due to presence of these skills.

Teaching of Phonetics stands on practice because theoretical teaching of practical Phonetics is not effective. It’s difficult to understand the theory of articulation of the sound without its pronunciation aloud. It’s possible to study Phonetics theoretically with pupils of senior school who are able to work at their pronunciation. Phonomaterials of modern textbooks could be used as material for teaching Phonetics.

It’s accepted that the standard of English pronunciation is Received Pronunciation, and more than that this variant of English pronunciation is taught at schools and Higher Education in our country [1]. However, nowadays American variant of English language has a wide distribution with common tendency comes to simplification not only in vocabulary and grammar, but  in phonetics as well. Thereupon there are vexed questions: what variant of English pronunciation – American English or English English must be taught? would it be proper for an English teacher to neglect some rules of Received Pronunciation and turn to American standard of pronunciation?

It should be noticed that in our country English teachers give preference to Received Pronunciation as Russian schools always were orientated and continue to be guided by classical English language. In the best language universities the methods of English variant were exactly taught and consultants and methodologists were mainly invited to other countries from Great Britain.

Nevertheless, the question “What variant of English pronunciation must be taught?” remains open. Some teachers operating with the fact that American standard is enough widespread in modern world suppose that it’s not out of place to teach both variants of English pronunciation at the same time originating peculiar “mix”. In contrast other teachers are more conservative and try to prove that Received Pronunciation must be the only  standard of English pronunciation and only it must be taught. Still in spite of teachers’ ideas, the authors of modern textbooks include American standard of pronunciation in phonomaterials.

For the analysis we chose modern textbook “Headway” Oxford University Press [2] presented with three degrees of complexity – Intermediate, Upper - Intermediate, Advanced in terms of six cassettes.

Analysis of aforesaid phonomaterials gave us the opportunity to discover next manifestations of American standard of pronunciation in modern textbook “Headway”.

As known one of the most basic markers of American standard of pronunciation is articulation of sound [r] between vowel and consonant (Table 1).

Table 1.

Also analysis of phonomaterials showed using occlusive explosive consonants [t], [d] instead of fricative interdental sounds [θ], [[ð](Table 2).

Table 2.

Moreover we noticed repeated pronunciation of words what is typical for American standard of pronunciation (Table 3).

Table 3.

It should be noticed pronunciation ending – ing as [ın] (Table 5).

Table 5.

As known sometimes American variant of English language is called “a casual language”. Generally such statement relies on the fact that during the act of communication American people don’t articulate many sounds or their pronunciation isn’t clear or they may even be dropped out. Everything what has been noticed previously is founded out in phonomaterials of “Headway”. So we noticed repeated omission of definite article the  during the speech:

- Up in the air - [ʌp ın er];

- On the horses - [ɑ:n hɔ:rsız];

- In the evening – [ın 'i:vnıŋ]

- On the table – [ɑ:n 'teıbl].

Also there is omission of occlusive explosive consonants [t]:

- Want – [wɒn];

- Start – ['stɑ:];

- Affect – [ә'fek].

One of the characteristic features of American standard of pronunciation is articulation of occlusive explosive consonants [t], [d] at the turn of vowel y as [t∫], [dʒ]:

- About you – [ә'baυt∫ ju];

- Want you – [wɒnt∫ ju];

- Would you – [wʊdʒ ju].

Summarizing all findings we may conclude that in most cases American standard of pronunciation has a place during the communication between English and American persons. So in this situation we have a good opportunity to hear the difference between American standard of pronunciation and Received Pronunciation.

Consequently, on basis of all findings during the analysis of phonomaterials of modern textbook “Headway” we may make a conclusion that rules of American standard of pronunciation are used in any case. As for  Received Pronunciation it still dominates as a standard of sounding speech.

Библиографический список:

Теоретическая фонетика английского языка/Учеб. для студ. ин-тов и фак. иностр. яз./М.А.Соколова, К.П.Гинтовт, И.С. Тихонова, Р.М.Тихонова. – М.:ВЛАДОС, 1996.

Headway Intermediate. Student’s Book.- Oxford University Press. 2000.

Headway Upper-Intermediate Student’s Book. - Oxford University Press. 2000.

Headway Advanced Student’s Book.- Oxford University Press. 2000