Kinds of phonetics

• descriptive (opisowa) – only describes pronunciation and provides no judgement about it correctness (what it is)

• perspective (perspektywna) – discusses which pronunciation is correct in which situation (eg. Polish “dzisiej” (what it should be) – what kind is used in the classroom?

• articular – deals with articulation, sound production

• acoustic – deals with waves produced by speech organs and the transmission of those waves

• auditory – deals with hearing sound perception (helpful in treatment of people with hearing impairments)

Speech organs

There are actually no speech organs. The ones we use have other biologically more important function to perform (smelling, tasting, breathing, chewing).

Every human being has the same origins and there are no ‘unpronounceable’ sounds in the world and everyone can learn to pronounce any existing sound.

/Our speech organs are adjusted to speak native sounds/

The problem is when we grow older our organs are so accustomed to the sounds of our native language that is difficult to readjust them and learn different sounds.

Hence foreign accents in EFL learners.

• articulatory system (in the head) – organs used for articulation

• phonatory system (in the throat) – organs used for the phonation of sounds

• respiratory system (in the trunk) – organs used for breathing

• lungs – the source of air

• windpipe (trachea – tchawica)

• larynx and glottis – the voicing feature of sounds depends on the position of vocal cords (folds) /udźwięcznia/

  • cords apart voiceless sounds and breathing

  • cords closed glottal stop is produced (e.g. football or when coughing)

  • cords less than open whisper is produced

  • cords closely together voiced sounds production (there is vibration)

• pharynx – acts like resonator (to amplify sound)

• velum (soft palate – podniebienie miękkie) + uvula

  • when raised – oral sounds produced

  • when lowered – nasal sounds produced (bo utrudniony przepływa powietrza)

• nasal cavity – resonator for nasal sound

• oral cavity – resonator for oral sound

• tongue – by touching different points in the oral cavity it changes the sound production

• teeth – production of dental sound