Correction of First Year_Mid-Term Exam in Phonetics

Mohammed Kheider University of Biskra Faculty of Letters and Languages! Department of Foreign Languages Branch of English Module: Phonetics

Level: First Year LMD

Correction of First Semester Exam Paper in English Phonetics Task 1: Explaining the difference between following terms briefly (All the groups) (6 pts) 1- Phonetics/Phonology Phonetics is the study and classification, description and transcription of human speech sounds. However, phonology is the system of contrastive relationships among the speech sounds that constitute the components of a language, it is also the study of phonological systems within a language or between different languages. 2- Acoustic/Articulatory phonetics Acoustic phonetics deals with the physical properties of speech sounds as sound waves in the air; it deals with what happens in the air between speaker and hearer. However, articulatory phonetics studies speech organs (the tongue, lips, vocal folds, teeth, etc.) and how they move to produce particular sounds. 3- Vowels/Consonants Firstly, in vowels articulation there is no obstruction of airflow; furthermore, all the vowels are voiced and it must be found in any syllable. However, for consonants there is an obstruction or narrowing of airflow; moreover, some consonants are voiced and others are voiceless. Finally, consonants are optional in a syllable.

Task 2: Filling in the gaps with the most appropriate terms

(All the groups)

(4 pts)

In the course of sound production, the airstream produced by the lungs goes into the

trachea at top of which the larynx is situated. Inside the former organ of speech, there are the vocal cords which may vibrate or not, and the glottis. Finally, the airstream releases through the oral cavity or the nasal cavity.

1/2

Task 3:

saying whether the following statements are true or false!and correcting the wrong ones

(All the groups) 1- Phonetics is the study of any speech sounds.

(6 pts) False

Phonetics is the study of human speech sounds. 2- RP is an abbreviation, which stands for Regular Pronunciation.

False

RP is an abbreviation, which stands for Received Pronunciation … 3- English monophthongs can be long or short.

True

4- In vowel articulation, the airflow is obstructed or forced into friction.

False

In vowel articulation, the airflow is not obstructed or it is not forced into friction. 5- The English vowel sounds are fourteen (14), which make up the RP vowels.

False

The English vowel sounds are twenty (20), which make up the RP vowel sounds. 6- During sound articulation the air of the lungs goes from the larynx into the trachea. False During sound articulation the air of the lungs goes from the trachea into the larynx.…

Task 4: Giving 4 minimal pairs opposing the following vowels

(4 pts) (For groups 1,2,3,4,5 & 10 only)

/æ/

/ɒ/

Plait

Plot

Hat

Hot

Bass

Boss

Lack

Lock

Task 5: "Which word is related to the following sounds

(4 pts) (For groups 6,7,8 & 9 only)

1. /! /

a. Bad

b. Again

c. Said

2. /ɒ/

a. Soul

b. All

c. Bond

3. /ʌ/

a. Put

b. Love

c. Part

4. /ɪ/

a. Build

b. Guide

c. Suit

Good Luck

2/2