College of Foreign Languages. Silesian Technical
University

Name of the course:

PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY

Term:

winter

Year and group:

IA, IB

Lecturer:

Dr Rafał Borysławski

e-mail:

[e-mail]

Aims of the course:

acquainting the students with the basic concepts in phonetics and phonetic
mechanisms

teaching and practising the English vowel sounds

teaching and practising phonetic transcription of spoken and written words

teaching and improving students’ general English pronunciation

Course and course credit requirements:

regular class attendance (2 unexcused absences are permitted)

active participation in the class activities and phonetic drills

satisfactory results in phonetic tests (every 3

rd

class)

satisfactory result in final theoretical and practical test

Bibliography / Resources:

C. Gimson, An Introduction to the Pronunciation of English, (Edward Arnold, 1994)

J. D. O’Connor, Better English Pronunciation, (Cambridge University Press,1995)

Bronisława Bałutowa, Wymowa angielska dla wszystkich, (Wiedza Powszechna,
1972)

phonetic tests are based on: L. G. Alexander, Practice and Progress, (Longman,
1967)

Detailed course outline:
Week 1.

Introduction to the course. The phonetic alphabet.

Week 2.

The stages and mechanism of the speech chain.

Week 3.

Description and classification of the speech sounds,

place and manner of articulation.

Week 4.

The English vowels; Cardinal Vowel Scale, vowels

sheep and ship - [I], [i:]; phonetic transcription test.

Week 5.

Phoneme, allophone, complementary distribution and

other basic phonetic and phonological notions; further
practice of [I] and [i:].

Week 6.

Vowels bed, bad and bud - [e], [æ] and [ú].

Week 7.

Further practice of [e], [æ] and [ú]; phonetic

transcription test.

Week 8.

Vowels car and bud - [å:], [ú].

Week 9.

Vowels not and saw - [ó], [Ø:].

Week 10.

Vowels err and shwa - [¨:], [E], phonetic transcription

test.

Week 11.

Vowels look and Luke - [U], [u:].

Week 12.

Practice of all the vowels. Diphthongs - division and

classification.

Week 13.

Diphthongs bay, by, boy - [eI], [aI], [oI]; phonetic

transcription test.

Week 14.

Term test.

Week 15.

The remaining diphthongs - how, low, tear, bear, tour

- [aU], [EU], [IE], [eE], [UE]. Triphthongs. Assessment and the
close of the course.

International Phonetic Alphabet

English vowels:

i:

as in sheep

I

as in ship

e / ‰ as in bed

æ

as in bad

å:

as in father

ó

as in pot

Ø:

as in caught

U

as in put

u:

as in boot

ú

as in cut, bud

3:

as in bird

E

as in banana

English consonants:

tS

as in cheer

dZ

as in jump

3

as in thing

T

as in then

S

as in fish

Z

as in pleasure

N

as in sung

w

as in wet

j

as in yet

The following consonant
symbols have their usual
English values: b, d, f, h, k, l,
m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w, z

English diphthongs:

IE

as in b

eer

eE

as in b

ear

UE

as in b

oer

eI

as in b

ay

aI

as in b

uy

OI

as in b

oy

EU

as in b

ow

(noun), s

o

aU

as in b

ow

(verb)