English Phonetics and Phonology - Week 8: Vowels in Detail

Introduction: Hello and welcome to the Week 8 of the course English Phonetics and Pholology for the Bachelor's in English Teaching at ULACIT term IIIC 2023. This week we will continue our study of the English vowel system by focusing on the subtle but fundamental difference between /ə/, /ʌ/, /ɝ/, and /ɚ/. 

Today's Goals: 

• Interpret transcriptions of character dialogue and write them in Standard English.
• Explore the differences between stressed adn unstressed schwa and r-coloring.
• Complete a guided exploration task to practice /ə/, /ʌ/, /ɝ/, and /ɚ/. 

Guiding Questions: 

• How does syllabus stress affect the pronunciation of other parts of a word?
• How do you determine primary and scondary stress?
• What is R-coloring?

Task 1: /fɪks ðə mɛst ʌp ˈjɪrbʊk/

Let's start by completing these exercises to review the vowels sounds that we already know. Click on your group link and follow the instructions in the document. 

• Group Link: CLICK HERE 

Task 2: /hændz ɑn præktɪs/

We have many vowel sounds and symbols to learn. The best way to get better at this is to practice. Open your group document below and complete the tasks with your partners. 

• Group Link: CLICK HERE

References: Many of the exercises in the practice section were adapted from "English Pronunciation Made Simple" and some content was used from "Teaching North American English Pronunciation".

Clark, R. & Yorkey, R. (2011). Teaching North American English Pronunciation. Pro Lingua Associates.

Dale, P. & Poms, L. (2005). English Pronunciation Made Simple. Pearson Education.