English phonetics

Topic: Phonological Theories.
1. Who is the founder of the phonological theory? What periods can be distinguished in the formation of the phonological theory? Explain I.A. Baudouin de Courtenay's phonological theory. How did he define the phoneme? Explain
the further development of I.A. Baudouin de Courtenay's theory.
2. Give L.V. Shcherba's definition of the phoneme. What are the theoretically and practically important ideas suggested by L.V. Shcherba? What phonological
school develops L.V. Shcherba's theory?
3. Give the definition of the phoneme by the Moscow Phonological school.
What marked differencies exist between the theories of St. Peterburg and Moscow phonological schools?
4. What representatives of the Prague phonological school do you know?
Explain the types of oppositions. What definition of a phoneme was given by N.S. Trubetzkoy? What rules for the determination of individual phonemes and phoneme combinations have been suggested by this theory?
5. Give D. Jones' explanation of a phoneme.
Why do we call D. Jones' theory an acoustic one? What members of the phoneme were suggested by D. Jones? Why is the semantic function of a phoneme important?
6. What phonological trends exist in the USA? Explain the basic phonological ideas of descriptive phonology?


7.Give an explanation of paradigmatic relations. Give an explanation of syntagmatic relations. What can be studied by the categorization of phonological units in paradigmatic and syntagmatic levels?

8.What functions of the phonological units do you know? What is a constitutive function? Give an explanation of the distinctive function. What is a delimitative function?

Topic: The Principal Types of English Pronunciation.

1. What is a national language? What is a literary variant of a language?

What is dialectology? What is an orthoepic norm?


2. Explain three principal types of English pronunciation distinguished on the British Isles. What is the Southern English pronunciation?
Why has RP been chosen as a standard for teaching in many countries?
3.Explain the Northern English pronunciation. What are the marked features of the Northern English pronunciation?

4. What are the marked features of the Scottish type of pronunciation in comparison with RP? What pronunciation features exist in the Cockney dialect?

5. What pronunciation types exist in the USA?

What are their features?

6.What pronunciation type is accepted as literary in the USA? Explain the marked differences between RP and GA vowels. What marked differences exist between RP and GA consonants?

7. What are the marked differences in word accentuation between RP and GA.

What is called spelling - pronunciation? Give examples from RP and GA.
8. What are the main features of Canadian pronunciation.