Семинарское занятие № 1

Тема: Phonetics as a Branch of Science

Discussion Points:
1. Define the subject of phonetics. Speak about the role of phonetics in the study of
language.
2. Describe the process of oral speech production. What stages does it consist of?
3. Characterize speech organs in accordance with their linguistic function.
4. Speak about the branches of phonetics as a science and a university course.
What methods are used in them?
5. Give the definition of phonology. What is the main linguistic function of any
phonetic unit?
6. Speak on the social and educational value of phonetics.
7. Characterize the relation of phonetics to other areas of science.

Семинарское занятие № 2
Тема: The phonetic System of a Language
Discussion Points:
1. What is phonology? What is its sphere of investigation?
2. What approaches to phonology do western linguists single out
nowadays?
3. What are the two major components in phonetics? Speak on them.
4. What types of segmental phonetics are distinguished in the English language?
5. The levels of a language.
6. Aspects of speech sounds.
7. The articulatory aspect.
8. The acoustic aspect.
9. The auditory aspect.
10. The linguistic aspect.

Семинарское занятие № 3
Тема: Methods of Investigating the Sound Matter of the Language
Discussion Points:
1. Laboratory Techniques for Investigating Speech Articulation.
2. Acoustic Phonetics.
3. Instrumental Techniques for Linguistic Phonetic Fieldwork.
4. Experimental Design and Statistics in Speech Science.

Семинарское занятие № 4
Тема: Conception of the Phoneme
Discussion Points:
1. The approach of the phoneme in its historical aspect:
a) F. de Saussure’s conception of the phoneme;
b) B. de Courtenay - the originator of the phoneme theory;
c) Scerba’s development of the phoneme theory.
2. The development of the phoneme theory in the Soviet period.
3. The treatment of the phoneme abroad:
a) the Prague Phonological School;
b) the London Phonological School;
c) the American Phonological School;
d)the Copenhagen Phonological School.

Семинарское занятие № 5
Тема: The Phoneme Theory
Discussion Points:
1. Define the phoneme. What is an allophone? Give examples of allophones of
different phonemes. What allophones are called principal?
2. What is the main linguistic function of the phoneme? Give examples.
3. Speak on the phoneme as a material and, at the same time, an abstract unit.
Describe the relations between the phoneme and the phone.
4. Define the invariant of the phoneme. Give examples of distinctive and non-
distinctive
features of phonemes.
5. Speak about pronunciation errors in relation to meaning.
6. What is transcription? Compare the broad transcriptions by D. Jones and V.A.
Vassilyev. Which one do you consider the most suitable for the purpose of
teaching the pronunciation? When is the narrow transcription used?
7. Compare the main trends of the phoneme theory and point out the main
differences between them. Which conception is the most adequate?

Семинарское занятие № 6
Тема: Phonological Analysis
Discussion Points:
1. What is the difference between the phonological and articulatory descriptions of
speech sounds? Speak on the aims of the phonological analysis.
2. Describe the procedure of identifying the phonemes of a language.
3. Speak about the distributional method. Analyze the possible distributions of the
sounds. Give the pros and cons of this method.
4. What is the semantic method based on? Describe the procedure of commutation
test. Give the pros and cons of this method.

Семинарское занятие № 7
Тема: Consonants in Comparison with Vowels
Discussion Points:
1. The articulation basis of the language. The comparison of the two languages
from the point of view of their articulation bases.
2. The general classification of speech sounds. Principles of articulation of speech
sounds.
3. Speak about different approaches to the classification of English consonants and
choose the one that you consider the most adequate.
4. Give the possible solutions to the problem of sonorants.
5. Explain the essence of
a. articulatory differences between V and C
b. acoustic differences between V and C
c. functional differences between V and C.

Семинарское занятие № 8
Тема: Classification of Consonants
Discussion Points:
1. What is the classification of English consonants according to the degree of
noise?
2. What is the classification of English consonants according to the manner of
articulation given by British scholars?
3. What is the classification of English consonants according to the degree of
noise?
4. What is the classification of English consonants according to the place of
articulation?

Семинарское занятие № 9
Тема: Modifications of Consonants
Discussion Points:
1. What does assimilation mean?
2. What modification process is opposite to assimilation?
3. What types of assimilations are distinguished?
4. What are the types of assimilation according to the place of articulation?
5. What are the types of assimilation according to the manner of articulation?
6. What are the types of assimilation according to the voicing value?
7. What are the types of assimilation according to the lip position?
8. What are the types of assimilation according to the position of the soft palate?
9. What are the cases of elision?
10. What are the types of epenthesis?
11. What are the examples of metathesis in children and adults speech?

Семинарское занятие № 10
Тема: The System of English Vowels
Discussion Points:
Analyze the articulatory constituents of quality of English vowels:
a. Classify English vowels according to the stability of articulation. What is the
phonemic status of English diphthongs?
b. Characterize English vowels according to the horizontal and vertical movements
of the tongue. Comment on different views on the number of classes of vowels in
each aspect.
c. Characterize the nature of the principal of lip rounding in the classification of
vowels.
d. Speak on the quality of checkness. Why is it important for Russian learners of
English?
e. Point out and discuss the main problems that concern the length or quantity of
English vowels.
f. Speak on the articulatory characteristic of tenseness. Define its significance for
the classification of vowels.

Семинарское занятие № 11
Тема: Tendencies in the Pronunciation of English Vowels
Discussion Points:
1. Speak on the phonemic status of the neutral sound [ә]. Describe two possible
variants and give examples of both.
2. Compare the systems of vowels in English and Russian and point out the main
difficulties in the pronunciation of vowels for Russian learners of English.
3. Define the main processes of modifications of vowels in connected speech. Give
examples.
4. Speak on the changes in vowel quality in the present-day English. Give
examples.

Семинарское занятие № 12
Тема: Syllabic Structure of English Words
Discussion Points:
1. Give the definition of the syllable. Why is it a complicated phenomenon? What
are the features of the syllable?
2. Compare different syllable theories and point out their pros and cons.
3. Speak on syllable formation in English. What are the most fundamental types of
syllable in English and in Russian?
4. Speak on syllable division. What problem exists in English with regard to this
aspect? What are the ways of its solution? Give examples.
5. Enumerate the functions of the syllable and define the syllable with regard to its
functions.
6. Specify the peculiarities of the syllabic structure of English. What should the
Russian learners of English pay attention to?

Семинарское занятие № 13
Тема: Syllable Division
Discussion Points:
1. What are basic rules of phonetic (spoken) syllable division: is there any
coincidence between a syllabic and a morphological boundary? how are
consonants syllabified? how are diphthongs syllabified? are affricates unisyllabic?
what are the guidelines for syllabification of syllabic consonants?
2. What is an orthographic syllable? What is another term to designate
orthographic syllables?
3. Do parts of phonetic and orthographic syllables always coincide? Exemplify.
4. What is a most general principle the division of words into syllables in writing
based on?
5. Where is the syllabic boundary in writing if there are two or three consonants
before -ING, e.g. grasping, puzzling?
6. How can compound words be divided, e.g.: hotdog; spotlight?
7. Is it possible to divide a word within a phonetic syllable?
8. What is the rule of syllable division of suffixes in writing?
9. Is it possible to divide a word so that an ending of two letters such as -ED,
-ER, -1C begins the next line? Are there any exceptions to this rule?
10. Is it possible to divide a word of ONE phonetic syllable? a word of less than
FIVE letters?

Семинарское занятие № 14
Тема: Word Stress
Discussion Points:
1. Speak on the nature of word stress. What are its components? Compare the
nature of word stress in Russian and in English. Explain the reason of
terminological confusion in discussing the nature of word stress.
2. Characterize languages according to the placement of word stress. What group
do Russian and English belong to?
3. Speak about different approaches to the problem of degrees of stress. What
conception is accepted as a teaching norm?
4. Give reasons of the instability of the accentual structure of English words. What
tendencies can account for it?
5. Differentiate between the accentual types and accentual structures of words.
Enumerate and characterize the accentual types in English. What factors add to the
instability of the accentual structure?
6. Speak on the interrelation between the word stress and sentence stress. Point out
similarities and differences.
7. What functions does the word stress perform? Dwell on the distinctive function
of word stress and give examples.
8. Compare the accentual structures of Russian and English and point out the main
difficulties which may arise for Russian learners of English.
9. What WS tendencies determine the location and degree of it? Explain the
essence of
• the recessive tendency;
• the rhythmic tendency;
• the retentive tendency and
• the semantic factor.
10. Comment on the case when the location of WS alone differentiates parts of
speech. Give examples.
11. Speak on the guidelines to WS placement in English:
• monosyllabic words
• two-syllable simple words
• three-syllable simple words
• four or more syllables
• words with prefixes
• words with suffixes
• compounds and phrases.

Семинарское занятие № 15
Тема: Intonation
Discussion Points:
1. Define the notion of intonation. Enumerate its constituents.
2. Give the definitions of an intonation pattern, an intonation group and a syntagm.
Differentiate between them.
3. Describe the pitch-and-stress structure of the intonation pattern. What parts of
the intonation pattern can be distinguished and what are their meanings? What is
the meaning of the intonation group formed of?
4. Define the tempo of speech. Enumerate and characterize different kinds of
pauses.
5. What methods can be used for recording intonation patterns in writing? Which
do you find the most adequate?
6. What is the main function of intonation? Characterize the ways in which it is
realized?
7. What are the two main approaches to the problem of intonation in Great Britain?
8. What is the grammatical approach to the study of intonation?

Семинарское занятие № 16
Тема: Rhythm
Discussion Points:
1. Give various definitions of rhythm. What makes it a very general term?
2. Characterize the languages according to the type of rhythm. What group do
Russian and English belong to?
3. Define the rhythmic group. Point out different views on the division into
rhythmic groups. Enumerate other rhythmic units.
4. Characterize rhythmicality in poetry. Enumerate prosodic, phonetic, structural
and semantic devices that help the impression of rhythmicality.
5. Speak about the rhythm in fairy-tales. What are its most characteristic features?
6. Analyze rhythmicality in prosaic texts. Describe prosodic characteristics of
various rhythmic units.
7. Compare prosaic and poetic rhythm and point out differences in the prosodic
organization.
8. Point out the main functions of rhythm.
9. Give examples of exercises that can help Russian learners of English practice
rhythm.

Семинарское занятие № 17
 Тема: Style Characteristics of Intonation
Discussion Points:
1. Speak about the main goals of phonostylistic studies. Compare functional and
phonetic styles and point out the differences and similarities between them.
2. Define an extralinguistic situation and characterize its components.
3. Enumerate and give a short characteristic of the main style-forming factors.
4. Point out style-differentiating characteristics.
5. Give different classifications of phonetic styles and choose one you consider the
most adequate. Give reasons for your choice.
6. Give the definition of an intonational style. What determines its choice? Explain
what distinguishes one intonational style from another.
7. Define the invariant of the style forming intonation patterns. What constitutes
the norm of speech behaviour?

Семинарское занятие № 18
Тема: Characteristics of Intonational Styles
Discussion Points:
Analyze the five intonational styles: informational style, academic style, publicistic
style, declamatory style and conversational style according to the following points:
a. the registers that are distinguished;
b. the purpose of communication: reading or speaking, prepared speech or
spontaneous;
c. the main functions of intonation;
d. the participants: general characteristic, timbre;
e. the setting: formal or informal, public or private;
f. style-marking prosodic features: loudness, levels and ranges, rate, pauses,
rhythm;
g. accentuation of semantic centres: terminal tones, pre-nuclear patterns, contrast
between accented and unaccented segments;
h. use of paralinguistic features: facial expressions, gestures, etc.

Семинарское занятие № 19
Тема: The Principles of Stylistic Text Arrangement
Discussion Points:
Analyze the following texts from the point of view of style: “The Exhibition”,
extract from “A Farewell to Arms”, extract from a Lecture by Professor John
Wells.
1. List the specific language items and their intonation setting in the polylogue
“The Exhibition”, which enable the speakers to sound formal and polite.
2. Explain the peculiarities of the intonation patterns in the announcements made.
Do all the announcements in all texts possess similar intonation structure?
3. What prosodic characteristics highlight the author’s message to the reader in the
text with the educational purpose from the novel “A Farewell to Arms”?
4. Give the oral presentation of the texts with the proper rhetoric of the defined
phonostyle.
5. Give a survey of rhetorical prosodic delivery of the lecture of Prof. John Wells.

Семинарское занятие № 20
Тема: Phonetics and Discourse
Discussion Points:
1. Give different definitions of discourse.
2. What is the difference between discourse and text?
3. In what way do discourse studies pertain to the development of the modern
linguistics?
4. Human communication (oral discourse) is irreversible in its nature, which makes
it almost impossible for thorough and all-embracing. What is the role and
objectives of phonetician in live communication analysis?
5. How can phonetics (in the area of discourse analysis) facilitate the solution of
practical tasks in teaching, language training, medicine, law, politics, performing
arts, etc.?
6. Compare the phonetic and extralinguistic features (tempo and clarity of speech,
loudness, level of formality or informality, degree of preparedness/ spontaneity,
situation of communication, type of interlocutors, etc.) in different types of
discourses and registers you have encountered in practical communication:
- academic discourse;
- TV broadcasting;
- theatre performances;
- everyday intercourse.

Семинарское занятие № 21
Тема: Phonetic Peculiarities of Style
Discussion Points:
1. How is age connected with the speech behaviour of people and what is its
connection with phonetics?
2. Are there any differences in pronunciation depending on the gender of the
person?
3. How does the setting affect a person’s pronunciation?
4. What is a phonetic style-forming factor?
5. What is a phonetic style-modifying factor?
6. How does the speaker’s attitude affect communication?
7. Enumerate the forms of communication.
8. What is the difference between public and non-public communication.
9. How does spontaneous speech differ from non-spontaneous?
10. Characterize hesitation, delimitation, and accentuation.
11. Classify phonetic styles.

Семинарское занятие № 22
Тема: Phonostylistic Variety
Discussion Points:
1. What factors form phonostylistic varieties?
 2. What possible varieties of speech are there according to the form of
communication?
3. What utterances are called spontaneous and prepared?
4. What issues are included in the sphere of phonostylistics?
5. What is meant by formal and informal style?
6. What modifications of consonants can take place in informal style?
7. What are the cases of consonant elision?
8. How are front and back vowels modified in informal speech?
9. What vowels are involved in the process of elision in informal speech?
10. What types of oral texts may exit?
11. What are the classifications of functional styles in the English language?

Семинарское занятие № 23
Тема: Territorial and Social Varieties of English Pronunciation.
Discussion Points:
1. Explain how language interacts with society. Give examples. What science
studies this interaction?
2. Speak on the national pronunciation standard. Give the definition of the
standard. What pronunciation is standard in Britain? Describe its historical
background. Enumerate and characterize its types.
3. Define social dialects. What are the two plans of socially conditioned
variability?
4. Describe British English accents:
- southern, northern and midland accents of England;
- Welsh English;
- Scottish English;
- Northern Ireland English.

Семинарское занятие № 24
Тема: American-Based Pronunciation Standards of English
Discussion Points:
1. Describe the American variant of English.
2. Enumerate and characterize types of educated American speech.
3. What pronunciation is the pronunciation standard of the USA? Compare it with
RP. Point out differences in the sound systems, stress and intonation.
4. General American (Standard American English).
5. Black American English.

Семинарское занятие № 25
Тема: Accents of English Outside UK and USA
Discussion Points:
1. Australian English.
2. New Zealand English.
3. South African English.
4. Canadian English.
5. Newfoundland English.