English Vowels

 Hello to everyone. In a previous post, I referred to English vowels. To give continuity  I offer this new post. 

International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)

The International Phonetic Alphabet is the tool we use to identify the different sounds or phonemes in a given language. In one or another way mastering the IPA chart is a must for an English teacher. The video below is an introduction to the phonetic alphabet that I am sure would help you.   Watch the video and respond to the questions.

a)      What is articulatory phonetics?

b)      Why do we need the IPA?

c)      What do gray spaces mean in the IPA chart?

d)      Repeat the words as you hear the presenter emphasizing the vowels and diphthongs.

English consonants general review

Here is a general review of English consonants. Keep in mind that there are many different sounds in English that do not have a counter part in Spanish. The following link gives you more information in detail. Watch the video and answer the questions provided.

a)      What is the difference between vowels and consonants?

b)      How do we describe consonants?

c)      What is voicing?

d)      What is place of articulation?

e)      What is manner of articulation?

f)       Give some examples of place or articulation?

g)      What are fricative sounds?

h)      What are affricate sounds?

i)        Repeat after the presenter the many sounds.

English vowels

English vowels are an important topic to teach for both primary school and high school students. One of the first main problems faced is that actually there is no full correspondence between Spanish vowels and English ones. Whereas in Spanish we have only five vowels, in English there are at least twelve vowels. Do you remember them? Being able to produce them in an accurate form would help anyone to improve his or her English. The video below introduces English vowels and their classification. I invite you to watch the video and practice.

a.      How are vowels described by linguists?

b.      How many types of vowels do we have in American English?

c.       What do Height, backness and roundedness refer about?

d.      Practice the different sounds presented in the video.

To classify English vowels and produce them better consider:

Height

Backness

Roundedness

Tensesness

I recommend you to use the English Vowels chart to help you understand it better. 

I invite you to leave your comentaries.