Lecture 7 the articulation basis of English language

1 How the articulation basis may be defined?

People belonging tо different races and nationalities possess an identical s speech apparatus. That is why in all existing languages there are typologically identical sounds, such as consonants, vowels and sonorants. For instance, in all European languages and in the languages of the Soviet Union there are such typologically identical sounds as /а, о, u, i, е, t, m, к, 1, s, d/ etc. And yet, not a single sound of one language is absolutely identical spectrally with a typologically identical sound, of another language.This is due to the fact that people use their speech organs differently, or, as phoneticians say, it is due tо the difference in the articulation basis.
The articulation basis may be defined, аs the general tendencies (or habits 'in the way native speakers use their speech organs both during speech and at rest.The articulation basis influences the phonetic system of a language.he articulation basis of one language may differ from the articulation basis of another language. Though the articulation bases of English, Kazakh have not yet been studied we may only speak about the most characteristic features of the Received Pronunciation articulation basis as compared with the Kazakh Standard articulation bases.Differences in the articulation bases of English, Kazakh, reflected in the system of consonants, are as follows: (1) The English have a tendency to hold the tip ofthetongue in neutral position at the level of the alveoli (or teeth-ridge), whereas the Kazakhs keep it much lower, at tooth level. That is why there are about 50 % of all the consonants in R.P. which are articulated with the tipof the tongue against the alveoli, as in /t, d, n, 1, s, z, ∫, ӡ, ʧ, ʤ, r /. They are alveolar, palato-alveolar and post-alveolar in accordance with the place of obstruction. The tip of the tongue in the articulation of Kazakh forelingual consonants occupies dental position. (2) The English and the Kazakhs have a general habit to hold the bulk of the tongue in neutral position a little further back, lower and flatter than the Russians. This may be observed in the articulation of the consonants /h, η ʊ ʌ ᵑ / in British R.P. and /h, ң, қ, ғ / in Kazakh.In the production of the English /h/ and the Kazakh /h/ the root of the tongue moves in the direction of the pharyngeal cavity. In the articulation of the Kazakh /ң, қ, ғ / the back part of the tongue is raised in the direction of the soft palate In the production of the English and Kazakh /η /the soft palate makes up a complete obstruction with the back part of the tongue. Russian students are apt to substitute the fore-lingual /n/ for the backliigual /η /.The flatter and lower position of the bulk of the tongue limits the system of English " soft" consonants of which there are only five /∫, з, t∫, dз, l/, whereas in Russian almost all the consonants may be " soft" (or palatalized).

Compare the palatalized and velarized consonants in Russian:
рад - ряд poжь - рощь борозда - бороздя

мот - мёд жар - жарь казна - казня '

Рвы- рви вес - весь угол - уголь и т. д.

(3) The English have a specific way of articulating final consonants. Voiced consonants in final position are always week in English (even partially devoiced). They are called lenis. Voiceless consonants in final position, on the contrary, are strong. They are called fortis.

In Kazakh sonorants and /з/ arе possible in final position,

e.g. кө з, сабаз, азық сыз.

(4) There is a specific way of articulating voiceless plosive consonants in English. When they are followed by a stressed vowel they are aspirated, as in " teacher", " paper", " comrade". In Kazakh they are non-aspirateo.

(5) There is a tendency to lengthen the English word-ending sonorants before a pause, especially when they are preceded by a short vowel, as in " Tom", " doll", " long", " sin". The similar Russian and Kazakh sonorants are short in the same position.

Differences in the articulation bases of English and Kazakh reflected in the system of vowels are as follows:

(1) The positions and movements of the lips are very peculiar. On the one hand, when an English is silent, his lips occupy the so-called flat-type position, they are more or less tense and the corners are raised as in a smile. A Kazakh keeps the lips rather lax with the corners of the lips lowered.

Spreading of the lips for front vowels is rather typical of English. In Kazakh the lip position for unrounded vowels is neutral.

On the other hand, in the production of the Kazakh vowels /о, ө, у, ү, ұ /

the lips are rounded and considerably protruded. In English such protrusion does not take place, аs in /, о:, u, u: /.

(2) In the production of English vowels the bulk of the tongue is more often at the back of the mouth; in the pro­duction of Kazakh vowels the tongue is mostly in this front part of the mouth. Besides, the tongue may occupy more positions when articulating English vowels than in Kazakh vowel production.

(3) This is especially felt in unstressed syllables. In English and Kazakh an unstressed vowel does not always differ greatly from a stressed one.

(4) There are in English short and long vowels which are different both in quality and quantity. There are no such phonemic oppositions in the Kazakh language.