Syllabic structure of English words

 

Задание к семинару

 

1.Give the definition of the syllable. What are the two levels the problem of syllable studied on?

 

2.Account for the concepts of the syllable introduced by R.H. Stetson and O. Jespersen. What are their chief drawbacks?

 

3.Interpret the theory of muscular tension put forward by L.V. Shcherba. Does it differ from the view originated by N.I. Zhinkin?

 

4.Compare V.A. Vassilyev’s approach to the syllable with the previous ones.

 

5.How can you prove that the syllable has not only articulatory but also functional value?

 

6.What are the main syllable types in English. Give examples.

 

7.What are the main principles of syllable division in English? Give examples.

 

Рекомендуемая литература:

1. Васильев В.А. Фонетика английского языка. Теоретический курс. (На англ.яз.). – М., 1970.

2. Зиндер Л.Р. Общая фонетика. – М.,1979.

3. Теоретическая фонетика английского языка. М.А. Соколова, К.П. Гинтовт, И.С. Тихонова, Р.М. Тихонова. – М., 2006.

4. Gimson A.C. An introduction to the pronunciation of English. – Lnd., 1973.

5. Jones D. An Outline of English Phonetics. Camb., 1984.

 

 

Практические задания

 

1.Identify the syllable boundary in the following words. Explain the rules

sitter                            pity

runner                          city

cutter                           civil

beggar                          clinic

chopping                       finish

clipping                        level

drummer                      never

father                           living

bigger                          medal

thinner                         model

gummy                         very

 

2.Comment on the difference in syllable division in the following English and Russian words. Waht articulatory vowel feature determines the syllable division in English?

 

letter – лето

runner – рано

sitter – сито

bitter – бито

belly – белый

cellar – села

chilly – Чили

 

3.Study the following phonological oppositions. Establish the difference on the syllabic level.

 

I scream – ice cream

it slips – its lips

that stuff – that’s tough

a name – an aim

 

4.Read and analyse the given articles on the problem.

 

 

Семинар 6

ACCENTUAL STRUCTURE OF ENGLISH WORDS

 

Задание к семинару

 

1.Give the definition of word accent. Account for the components word accent is based on: force, pitch, quality, quantity.

 

2.Speak of the two main types of word accent represented in different languages: dynamic and musical. Give examples.

 

3.What are the main degrees of stress? Give examples. In what way do the position of British and American phoneticians differ?

 

4.What is the nature of English stress according to its placement in a word? What is shifting stress? Give examples.

 

5.Which are the chief tendencies that determine the position of the stress in a word? Which of them is the strongest in English? Give examples.

 

6.Account for Torsuev’s typology of accentual structure of English words. Give examples.

 

7.What are the three functions of word accent?

 

8.What is the accenteme? Who introduced the term? Give examples of minimal pairs.

 

9.What is sentence stress? What is the difference between word stress and sentence stress? Give examples.

 

Рекомендуемая литература:

1. Аванесов Р.И. Ударение в современном русском литературном языке. – М., 1958.

2. Васильев В.А. Фонетика английского языка. Теоретический курс. (На англ.яз.). – М., 1970.

3. Теоретическая фонетика английского языка. М.А. Соколова, К.П. Гинтовт, И.С. Тихонова, Р.М. Тихонова. – М., 2006.

4. Торсуев Г.П. Вопросы акцентологии современного английского языка. – М., 1960.

5. Gimson A.C. An introduction to the pronunciation of English. – Lnd., 1973.

6. Kingdon R. The Groundwork of English Stress. – Lnd., 1972.

 

Практические задания

1.Examine the columns of the following accentuation oppositions. Observe the realization of phonological function of the word accent.

Import n – import v

Contract n – contract v

Insult n – insult v

record n – record v

convict n – convict v

abstract adj – abstract v

absent adj – absent v

perfect adj – perfect v

 

Give some examples of your own.

 

2.Examine the accentuation oppositions of compound nouns and word combinations. State the difference in their meaning.

longboat – long boat

hotplate – hot plate

darkroom – dark room

greenhouse – green house

bluejacket – blue jacket

bluebell – blue bell

 

Think of your own examples.

 

3.What is the accentual pattern of the following words and word combinations?

- Waterloo, Waterloo Station, the train for Waterloo

- Westminister, Westminister Abbey, near Westminister

- afternoon, afternoon tea, good afternoon

- fifteen, fifteen pounds, just fifteen

- unknown, an unknown name, quite unknown

 

4.Read and analyse the given articles on the problem.

 

 

 

 

Семинар 7

INTONATION

 

Задание к семинару

 

1.What is your idea of INTONATION? Why is viewed as a language universal? What is the definition of intonation that Russian linguists offer? What are the main components of intonation?

 

2.What is the difference between terms “intonation” and “prosody”?

 

3.What is the role of intonation in human intercommunication? How is communicative function of intonation realized? Do Russian and foreign linguists approach the functional aspect of intonation in the same way? What are the differences in conceptions?

 

4.Speak of the distinctive function of intonation. What kind of meaning can be differentiated by the opposition of intonational units? Give examples.

 

5.Speak of the organizing function of intonation. What role does intonation play in conveying new and given information? What is the differenc between the marked and unmarked position of the nucleus?

 

6.What is pragmatics? How does intonation fulfil the pragmatic function?

 

7.Can intonation mark stylistically different speech realiations?

 

 

Рекомендуемая литература:

1. Антипова А.Н. Система английской речевой интонации. – М.: Высшая школа, 1979.

2. Васильев В.А. Фонетика английского языка. Теоретический курс. (На англ.яз.). – М., 1970.

3. Зиндер Л.Р. Общая фонетика. – М.,1979.

4. Практическая фонетика английского языка. М.А. Соколова, К.П. Гинтовт, Л.А. Кантер, Н.И. Крылова, И.О. Тихонова, Г.А. Шабадаш. – М., 2005.

5. Теоретическая фонетика английского языка. М.А. Соколова, К.П. Гинтовт, И.С. Тихонова, Р.М. Тихонова. – М., 2006.

6. Crystal D. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. – NY: Cambridge University Press, 2003.

 

 

Практическое задание:

Read and analyse the given articles on the problem.

Семинар 8