Experimental phonetics

BASIC FUNCTIONS OF EXPERIMENTAL PHONETICS
Phonetics (from the Greek word “phone” - meaning sound, voice and “-tika-” a science) is a special science which studies the phonic substance and the expression area of the language, or otherwise the physical media of a language (sounds, syllables, stress and intonation). The linguistic form and content are described by other branches of linguistics, namely grammar (morphology and syntax), lexicology (lexicon or vocabulary, the formation and the meanings of the words) and stylistics (expressive-emotional meanings).The definition of phonetics as «the study of the sounds of a language»1 is not sufficient in modern linguistics. Nowadays phonetics is a science or a branch of linguistics studying articulatory- acoustic and perceptual features of a language. It is concerned with the linguistic expression represented in the speech sounds, syllables, stress and intonation. Phonetics deals with oral speech.

Phonetics is of great theoretical and practical value. Theoretically it is important to study the formation of speech sounds, their combinations, syllables, stress and intonation. If we approach the study of pronunciation and listening scientifically partial similarities and great differences may be noticed among the utterances
which may be recorded either with pen and paper or with a recording machine. A language consists of a series of physical events. Sound waves are formed bythe work of speech organs and perceived by ear. There is a conversion of muscular energy into acoustic energy. But the articulatory and auditory (listening) control of this conversion is not common property. Speech is perceived, observed, collected and classified by millions of sets of human senses and nervous systems. The classification of various speech utterances and their divisbn into smaller and higher elements require theoretical, scientific bases - principles and methods

The explanation and description of the articulation of speech sounds, the pronunciation rules of a language is the object of practical or applied phonetics which is very important in teaching correct pronunciation of a foreign language. Sometimes, as to its aims of teaching the normal pronunciation of a language, this type of phonetics is called a normative course of phonetics. There is a close relationship between theoretical and practical phonetics, as it is important to combine theory and practice. It is impossible to represent a good pronunciation rule without a theoretical explanation of a particular question. Speaking about the phonetic system of a language we mean the whole set of relations of its elements. The phonetic elements or units are sounds, syllables, stress and intonation which have their linguistic functions observed in the identification and distinction of the utterances. In such words or morphemes as lag - bag, meet - seat, etc. the first sounds help to distinguish their meanings. The words 'present - pre'sent are distinct by the position of the stress. The sentence She came may be pronounced in such a way as to be declarative, interrogative etc.