'Linguistics Phonetics' Education

Linguistics Phonetics

Mambambo John (196.4.80.174) -

It is crucial to note that languages have been so much sidelined right across the continent. This is not because of any other reason but because they are assumed to be associated with the mere learning of general "everybody-knows" concepts but alas; i hereby endeavour to delve deeper into overtly exposing the scientific study of language" Linguistics". Language is a very com[plex system that is difficult to analyse and easily comprehend, thus, there has been an effort to simplify the complexity of analysis by breaking it down into some manageable branches. Linguistics has been dissected into Phonetics, Phonology, Morphology, Syntacs , semantics, pragmatics, and some further divisions which can be made within the outlined classes.

Language in general is comprised of various characteristics and among the characteristics is the property of " emmense complexity" which mean that all the languages are equally complex.

It is the purpose of the next article to explain the branch of Phonetics.

Reply #1 Mambambo John (Midlands State University) (196.4.80.174) -

Phonetics is the scientific study of how speech sounds are articulated(produced) and specifying the processes involved in the production of each and every sound any human being utters.This branch of linguistics is further divided into;1) Acquistic Phonetics, 2) Auditory Phonetics and 3)Articulatory phonetics which is the broadest of these fields of Phonetics.

1) Acquistic Phonetics deals with the nitty-gritties of what happens betwwen the MOUTH that utters a sound and the EAR that perceives the sound. in essence, acquistic Phonetics analyses the properties of wavelength, amplitude, presents of overtones, velocity and other such scientific elements.This branch makes use of some special machinery that detect speech sounds as they are articulated. These machinery are crucial in as much as they pave a way for clear explanation under articulatory phonetics of the speech sounds.

2)Auditory phonetics deals with the perception of speech sounds using the auditory canal(ear). This branch of phonetics is crucial because each and every speech that is articulated has to be perceived for that is the the whole motive behind any articulation.

3) Articulatory phonetics is the broadest of all the branches of phonetics and it the one i will delve on in detail. it constitutes of some sub-categories ofspeech sounds;namely VOWELS and CONSONANTS which are distinguished by their percularities in articulation and modification of air stream mechanisms.(I will delve deeper in my next publication)

Mambambo John (Midlands State University)

Reply #2 Eustine Mudzikisi (196.4.80.174) -

The comprehensiveness of your messages are benefiting me and presumably many other people who are undertaking their studies within the field of Linguistics. Please don't give up, you are doing a great job man.( I LOVE YOU SO MUCH JOHN)

Mudzikisi Eustine(091 888 989)

Reply #3 MAMBAMBO JOHN (1) from ZIMBABWE (Contact Member) -

Articulatory phonetics is a branch of phonetics that is concerned with eplicitly exploring the processes of enunciation andf articulation of any sound. These soundas described under phonetics are treated as Phonemes under the field of phonology. The descriptive process is universal and the type of inscription called "phonetic transcription" enables anyone who can read it to understand what is written in any language of the world. The phonetic alphabet is written within SQUARE BRACKETS e.g[*].

The broadest spectrum under articulatory phonetics is that of CONSONANTS. These are linguistic elements that are produced or articulated with an associated obstruction of air as an air stream sets from the lungs to the various places of articulation. The obstruction can be voiced, voiceless, whistled or a mixture of voicing and voicelessness in some otherb languages of the World like Chinese. Consonants are distinguished from each other by virtue of their three term label descriptions which are; 1) Voicing/Phonation/Concormitant of the glottis/State of the glottis 2)Place of articulation and the 3) Manner of articulation.These three aspects are the sasme components that some scholars have used to define what a phoneme is.

Voicing/Phonation/Concormitant of the glottis/State of the glottis as the last two identification titles describe are the product of the actions of the glottis. The voicing of a consonant occurs when the glottis is constricted by the pressing together of its walls leading to the production of a high pitched and deep consonant as produced in a choir by the Bass singers. To experiment and find out if a sound is voiced or voiceless, one can simply arter a consonant whilist holding on to his/her glottis and you can feel the vibration of the glottis if the consonant is voiced and you do not feel any vibration if the consonant is voiceless.Such voiced consonants are [b] as in /brother/, [g] as in /garage], [v] as in /voice] and many other such consonants.

Places of articulation are the various oral places which assist in the production of a consonant. The places can be interior or posterior to the oral cavity (mouth). Usually, the description of these places of articulation begins from the exterior to the deep interior places, some of which are not visible to the human eye, like the glottis. The places include the Bilabials(Two Lps) i.e Upper and Lower lips, Upper and Lower teeth, Alveolar or the convex ridge lying just behind the upper teeth, palatal/hard palate (The center of the mouth at the top part of the palate-which is in line with the upper teeth), uvular/velar which lie just behind the hard palate and just before the glottis, it is the protruding FLESH that hangs at the food entrance point and which if one tempers around with, vomits, and finally we have the Glottis which plays a significant role in the voicing of sounds.

The manner of articulation entails an analysisi of what happens as the air stream leaves the lungs lungs to the time it touches various places of articulation, i.e will there be an explosion after a closure which is followed by an abrupt release of air which produces what are known as "Plosive sounds", or there is a friction which is caused by a minnor squeezing of an air stream between two places of articulation to produce "Fricatives" or there is a mix up os a "STOP" which hlods an air stream for a moment then release it and a fricative, to produce an "AFFRICATE", interesting, isn't it?

That is the exploration of the science of language. In my next publication i will be exploring the various consonants making use of the three term label descriptions after which i will delve deeper into the nexus of Phonology. Interesting, extyremely interesting.

Mambambo John (Midlands State University)

Reply #4 MAMBAMBO JOHN (1) from ZIMBABWE (Contact Member) -

Articulatory phonetics is a branch of phonetics that is concerned with eplicitly exploring the processes of enunciation and articulation of any sound. These sounds described under phonetics are treated as Phonemes under the field of phonology. The descriptive process is universal and the type of inscription called "phonetic transcription" enables anyone who can read it to understand what is written in any language of the world. The phonetic alphabet is written within SQUARE BRACKETS e.g[*].

The broadest spectrum under articulatory phonetics is that of CONSONANTS. These are linguistic elements that are produced or articulated with an associated obstruction of air as an air stream sets from the lungs to the various places of articulation. The obstruction can be voiced, voiceless, whistled or a mixture of voicing and voicelessness in some other languages of the World like Chinese. Consonants are distinguished from each other by virtue of their three term label descriptions which are; 1) Voicing/Phonation/Concormitant of the glottis/State of the glottis 2)Place of articulation and the 3) Manner of articulation.These three aspects are the sasme components that some scholars have used to define what a phoneme is.

Voicing/Phonation/Concormitant of the glottis/State of the glottis as the last two identification titles describe are the product of the actions of the glottis. The voicing of a consonant occurs when the glottis is constricted by the pressing together of its walls leading to the production of a high pitched and deep consonant as produced in a choir by the Bass singers. To experiment and find out if a sound is voiced or voiceless, one can simply arter a consonant whilist holding on to his/her glottis and you can feel the vibration of the glottis if the consonant is voiced and you do not feel any vibration if the consonant is voiceless.Such voiced consonants are [b] as in /brother/, [g] as in /garage], [v] as in /voice/ and many other such consonants.

Places of articulation are the various oral places which assist in the production of a consonant. The places can be interior or posterior to the oral cavity (mouth). Usually, the description of these places of articulation begins from the exterior to the deep interior places, some of which are not visible to the human eye, like the glottis. The places include the Bilabials(Two Lips) i.e Upper and Lower lips, Upper and Lower teeth, Alveolar or the convex ridge lying just behind the upper teeth, palatal/hard palate (The center of the mouth at the top part of the palate-which is in line with the upper teeth), uvular/velar which lie just behind the hard palate and just before the glottis, it is the protruding FLESH that hangs at the food entrance point and which if one tempers around with, vomits, and finally we have the Glottis which plays a significant role in the voicing of sounds.

The manner of articulation entails an analysis of what happens as the air stream leaves the lungs to the time it touches various places of articulation, i.e whether there be an explosion after a closure which is followed by an abrupt release of air which produces what are known as "Plosive sounds", or there is a friction which is caused by a minor squeezing of an air stream between two places of articulation to produce "Fricatives" or there is a mix up of a "STOP" which holds an air stream for a moment then release it and a fricative, to produce an "AFFRICATE", interesting, isn't it?

That is the exploration of the science of language. In my next publication i will be exploring the various consonants making use of the three term label descriptions after which i will delve deeper into the nexus of Phonology. Interesting, extyremely interesting.

Mambambo John (Midlands State University)

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