Linguistic Essay

Why knowledge about Phonetics and Phonology is important for a language teacher?
 Helps in Recognition and Interpretation

 Pronounce a word incorrectly can change the whole meaning of the message
 It is easier for teacher to teach pronunciation of a foreign language with the
IPA
 Learn how sounds in every language works and how the meaning change
 Learn how to pronounce words in the correct way
 To correct pronunciation and improve it on students
Outline
1. Introduction Paragraph:
a. Hook:
- Have you ever wondered what would have happened if people do not
pronounce words correctly?
- What would have happened if we pronounce differently a phoneme in a
word?
- Have you ever wondered how people are capable to differ between a sound
and another?
- Do you know that the first ten languages are guide by the IPA?
b. Thesis Statement:
Therefore, for a teacher Phonetics and Phonology are essentials fields in

language teaching since they help them to recognize and interpretate better the
words, to teach the correct pronunciation of a foreign language and to
pronounce words in the correct way to do not change the meaning.
Phonetics and Phonology are essentials fields in language teaching since they
help teachers to recognize and interpretate better the messages, to teach easier
the correct pronunciation of a foreign language and to pronounce words in the
correct way to do not change the meaning.
1. Help to pronounce words in the correct way to do not change the meaning (Avoid
misunderstandings)
2. Help teachers to teach the correct pronunciation of a foreign language
3. Helps in Recognition and Interpretation
2. Body Paragraph 1: Phonetics and Phonology works to recognize and interpret
better the words or the messages
a. Acoustic phonetics: Sometimes, language learners are uncapable to

recognize a word due to they do not know the correct pronunciation of several
phonemes that have a single word (Phonemes are different to letters). This leads
them not to understand the message conveyed.
b. According to a research from “FBS Universitas Negeri Padang”, due to the lack
of knowledge of phonetics, language students often have problems in
understanding messages which are delivered orally. This is because,
physiologically, “understanding takes place when the pronunciation stored in
their brain matches the pronunciation that comes from outside through their
hearing cortex.” For instance, the word “preface” is pronounce /præfɪs/,
however, some students think that the correct pronunciation is /prifeis/, so, when
the word is listened, the auditory cortex in Wernick’s area is trying to match it
with its pronunciation stored in the brain’s memory, and as the words are not
matched, comprehension does not take place.
c. Intonation and stress can change the meaning of words or sentences, so if
you don't know this, you can misinterpret the whole message. (They establish
the difference between verbs and nouns)
3. Body Paragraph 2: Language teacher can show easier the correct pronunciation of
a foreign language
a. According to Haycraft, it is critical for a language teacher to know the

articulation of individual sounds, in order to show in an easier way, the correct
pronunciation of the sounds or the words.
b. According to “EFL Magazine”, the International Phonetic Alphabet is one of the
best forms to teach pronunciation, since “The IPA aims to provide visually
distinctive symbols for all speech sounds which are phonologically distinct in
any language Trask”
4. Body Paragraph 3: Recognize the different sounds or phonemes helps us to

pronounce correctly and do not change the meaning.
a. “When there is difference in sounds there would be difference in meaning too.

Phonology is dealt with this difference in meaning due to the difference in
sound.”
b. Minimal pairs: If we pronounce incorrectly a word, the whole message that we
want to transmit can change and can be misinterpreted: (Uncle – Ankle), (Knees
– niece), (Sex – Six), (Beach – Bitch)
c. It is important to know that letters and phonemes are different. A single word
can have more phonemes than letters. For example: “Six = /SIKS/”. Therefore,
if teachers do not teach the difference between them, students can be confused
with some words that have almost the same pronunciation but different
meaning.
5. Conclusion Paragraph:
“For most language teachers, pronunciation is largely identified with the articulation of
individual sounds and, to a lesser extent, with the stress and intonation patterns of the target
language.” In this respect, the second definition does not limit pronunciation only to the
way in which sounds are articulated but goes further to incorporate other articulatory
aspects, namely stress and intonation patterns.
Among the most useful solutions that have been suggested is the use of the International
Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The IPA aims to provide visually distinctive symbols for all
speech sounds which are phonologically distinct in any language Trask (1996).
On the other hand, vowels are described mainly in terms of the position of the tongue and
lip rounding. These detailed phonetic descriptions are not arbitrary since they are of
paramount importance to the teaching of pronunciation. According to Haycraft (1978: 58),
“Awareness of this is useful as many mistakes made by learners are due to slight
differences in sound production”.
In view of this, Prator (ibid.) highlights the importance of going back to a structuralist
analysis, as he states: “ I believe the phoneme is useful and that teachers of ESL should
be familiar with the concept, particularly because it does provide considerable
amount of guidance in deciding how to assign priorities in teaching pronunciation” (p.
67). In the same vein, he goes further and justifies his claim in the following statement: “
since phonemic distinctions correlate with meaning, they are more important than
allophonic distinctions to a student who is learning a language in order to be able to
communicate meaning in it”
Word is a linguistic phenomenon of phonemes. Word accent is a characteristic
pronunciation and is determined by cultural background of a person. It is a common
knowledge that native accents substitute sounds in all its dimension in the new language
learning process, if the right thrust is not given to the structure of speech sounds in any
foreign language at the time of learning especially English language.
The backbone of any language is its sound system. Understanding the phonics, phonology
and phonetics of language is the primary requirement for mastering any foreign language. It
is true as for as English language learning too. Phonics is relationship between the sounds
and the letters used to represent the sounds. Students or the learner must be educated in
phonics even in the earlier stages of learning a foreign language including English.
Phonology is the distribution pattern of speech sounds. It is about how speech sounds
behave in a language. Phonology is a link between phonetics and the rest of linguistics. To
have full understanding of sounds in English the knowledge of phonics, phonology and
phonetics are required. The primary areas are listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Listening: New language learner must create an environment where he could listen the
speech sounds of the new language. Speaking: The learner must speak in the target
language almost every time if possible.
The study of speech sound in any language is phonetics
Phonetics is of three branches namely Articulatory, Acoustics and Auditory Phonetics
Phonology deals with the way in which speech sounds behave in any language
When there is difference in sounds there would be difference in meaning too.
Phonology is dealt with this difference in meaning due to the difference in sound. The
idea of phonology is that any spoken language can be broken down into pieces of sound
called phoneme. Phonology links phonetics with other organs of linguistics. The
knowledge of phonetics and phonology make English language learner to have a
command over the sounds of English speech.
Listening and imitating the mouth movements of the speaker or teacher is one of the direct
observation methods. Reading aloud after the teacher is the next. Listening to recorded
model of sounds is another way. A teacher arranges conversation and role play exercises
among students in the class room.
“many students often have problems in understanding messages which are
delivered orally… The main problem faced by the students is they have poor
pronunciation. Psychologically, understanding takes place when the
pronunciation stored in their brain matches the pronunciation that comes from
outside through their hearing cortex.”

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Why knowledge about Phonetics and Phonology is important for a language teacher?

 Helps in Recognition and Interpretation

Therefore, for a teacher Phonetics and Phonology are essentials fields in

a. Acoustic phonetics: Sometimes, language learners are uncapable to

a. According to Haycraft, it is critical for a language teacher to know the

4. Body Paragraph 3: Recognize the different sounds or phonemes helps us to

a. “When there is difference in sounds there would be difference in meaning too.

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