Possible mistakes made by Russian learners in the pronunciation of English vowels

Phonetics. Its connection with other branches of linguistics.

All the branches of Ph. are connected with grammar, lexicology and stylistics. Ph. formulates the rules of pronunciation of separate sounds and sound combination. Through the system of rules Ph. is connected with grammar and helps to pronounce correctly singular and plural forms of nouns, the Past Tense forms and Past Participle of English verbs. Another Ph. phenomenon sound interchange is a manifestation of disconnection of Ph. with grammar. Sometimes intonation alone can serve to single out the logical predicate of the sentence. Ph. is connected with stylistics through repetition of words, phrases, sounds. Repetition serves the basis of rhythm, amateration.

Classification of English vowels.

The first who tried to describe and classify vowel sound irrespective of the mother tongue was Daniel John. He described the system of 8 cordinal vowels. Russian Ph. classify English vowels according to the following principals:

1) position of the lips

2) potion of the tongue

3) degree of tenseness and character of the end of the vowel

4) length

5) stability of articulation

According to the position of the lips vowels are classified into rounded and unrounded.[o:],[o],[u:],[u].

According to the position of the tongue vowels divided into horizontal and vertical movements of the tongue. They are divided into: fully back [o,o:,u:],[oi,o ];back advanced [,u,a:], [ou,u ]. When the front part o the tongue raised higher towards the hard palate, called front. They are divided into: fully front [i, e, ], [ei, ai] front retracted [i],[au].

According to the vertical movements of the tongue vowels are divided into:

high [i:,i, u, u:]

mid,half,open [e,

low,open [

high-narrow variation [i:,u:]

-broad variation [i,u]

mid - narrow variation [

- broad variation [

low - narrow variation [

- broad variation [

According to the degree of tenseness long vowel are defined as tense and short as lax.

According to the length vowels are divided into long and short. The English long vowels are [

Short vowels are [

According to the stability of articulation vowels are divided into monophtongs (simple vowels), diphtongs, diphtongoids.

English monophtongs [

In English there are 2 diphtongoids [i:, u:].

A diphthong is based on the ability of a vowel to form a syllable. The 1^st element of a diphthong is the nucleus, the 2^nd is the glide. A diphthong can be falling- when the nucleus is stronger than the glide, rising – when the glide is stronger than the nucleus.

[ei,ou,oi,au,ai] – are called closing

[ ] – centring.

Possible mistakes made by Russian learners in the pronunciation of English vowels.

In the system of the English vowels there are the following peculiarities, which don’t exist in the system of the Russian vowels:

1) long and short vowels[i:-i], o:-o], [u:-u],[a:-a], [ ]

2) slightly rounded but not protruded vowels [u:, o:]

3) vowels articulated with the ‘flat’ position of the lips in the [i:,i, e, ei]

4) very longvowels, such as [ ]

5) front-retracted and back-advanced [i, u, a:]

6)mixed [ ]

7) diphtongoidal pronunciation of [i: u] and stable articulation in the [o:] pronunciation

8) diptongs [

In the connection with these peculiarities Russian students make the follow mistakes:

1) They don’t observe quantitative character of the vowel (length)

2) They don’t observe the qualitative difference in the articulation of such vowels as

(i:-i),(u:-u), (o:-o)

3)they substitute English vowels by similar Russian vowels.

4) they pronounce (i:, i, e, e:) without the ‘flat position’ on the lips

5) they articulate (o,o:,u,u:,ou) with lips too much rounded and protruded

6) they make the sounds narrow because they don’t open the mouth properly

7) they don’t observe the positional length of vowels

8) they make both elements of the diphthongs equally distinct

9) they pronounce initial vowels with a glottal stop.

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