This classic work explores the vast differences between oral and literate cultures and offers a brilliantly lucid account of the intellectual, literary and social effects of writing, print and electronic technology.
The Pronunciation of English: A Course Book is an introduction to the phonetics and phonology of English. It incorporates all central aspects of research in the phonology of English and involves the reader at every step, with over 80 exercises leading students to discover facts, to formulate general statements, and to apply concepts. This revised second edition provides a brief history of the English language, highlighting the main native-speaker varieties that exist today. In succession, it deals with the nature of speech and phonetic description, the principles of phonological analysis, the consonants and vowels of English, and their possible sequences. It provides an extensive treatment of rhythm, stress, and intonation and the role of these prosodic elements in discourse, as well as coverage of phonological processes that make casual, conversational usage different from formal style. In addition to general updating throughout, this new edition incorporates developments in phonology since the first edition appeared. It also includes a glossary of technical terms and visual aids to assist students with little background in linguistics.
