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Listening and Speaking 3. Week 4 Feb.16.2013 Chapter 8 (Part One). Lesson Outline. Course Introduction. Chapter 8, The Syllable 8.1 The Nature of the Syllable, 56-57 Conversation. Course Info. Evaluation. 8.1 The Nature of the Syllable. What is a Syllable?
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Listening and Speaking 3 Week 4 Feb.16.2013 Chapter 8 (Part One)
Lesson Outline • Course Introduction. • Chapter 8, The Syllable • 8.1 The Nature of the Syllable, 56-57 • Conversation
8.1 The Nature of the Syllable • What is a Syllable? The syllable is a basic unit of speech studied on both the phonetic and phonological levels of analysis. Words can be cut up into units called syllables. Humans seem to need syllables as a way of segmenting the stream of speech and giving it a rhythm of strong and weak beats. A word contains at least one syllable.
Defining the Syllable Phonetically • Phonetically means in relation to production and how it sounds. • Phonetically syllables are usually described as consisting of a center which has little or no obstruction to airflow and which sounds comparatively loud; before and after that center there will be greater obstruction to airflow and/or less loud sound.
Defining the Syllable Phonologically • Phonologicalsyllable is “a complex unit made up of nuclear and marginal elements”. Laver (1994: 114) • Nuclear elements are the vowels, marginal elements are consonants.
Syllable Structure 1. Minimum Syllable:a single vowel in isolation. Example: ‘are’ , ‘or’ , ‘err’ . These are preceded and followed by silence. • Onset:one or more consonant preceding the center of the syllable. Example: ‘bar’ , ‘key’ • Coda: the syllable ends with one or more consonants. Example: ‘am’ , ‘ought’ • Some syllables have both onset and coda. Example: ‘ran’ , ‘sat’