Sounds Of English Worldwide

An in-depth exploration of the sound systems of varieties of English around the world, written by a renowned authority in the field In Sounds of English Worldwide, Raymond Hickey delivers a rigorous overview of the sound systems of varieties of English throughout the world. Beginning with an overview of the history and contexts of global varieties of English, this book guides readers through the spread of English during the colonial era leading up to the present day. The second section of the book broadly considers developments in the English-speaking world, accounting for the factors that triggered regional changes and resulted in diverse scenarios for English, including language contact and shift, new dialect formation , and the use of English in non-anglophone contexts. To assist students in learning how to approach the study of varieties of English, this valuable text addresses research questions of general interest to linguists and explores a variety of fieldwork methods commonly used by researchers in the area. This useful book offers: A thorough introduction to English today, including its geographical and social distribution, focusing on variation and change around the world Practical discussions of key changes in late modern English that determined the unique phonetic profile of different varieties of the language In-depth examination of present-day scenarios and how they might pan out in the future development of English, considering the many factors which may shape global forms of the language Includes useful summaries of varieties of English with a glossary and timeline, providing a quick reference of the key features of English around the world for students Considers research issues and methods to aid students in applying the material of the book to their own studies Perfect for graduate students, advanced undergraduate students, and researchers studying varieties of Englishes, Sounds of English Worldwide will earn a place in the libraries of linguists and students studying Englishes worldwide from a sociolinguistic perspective as well as langague contact , bilingualism, the rise of new varieties along with English phonetics and phonology more generally.

Most introductions to English phonetics and phonology focus primarily on British or American English, which fails to account for the rich diversity of English varieties globally. This book addresses this gap, providing an overview of English phonetics and phonology through an exploration of the sounds of English around the world, including older varieties of English such as American, Canadian, British, and Australian Englishes, as well as new varieties of English such as Indian, Singaporean, Hong Kong, and Kenyan English. It focuses on diversity in vowels and consonants, allophonic variation, and stress and intonation patterns across regional, ethnic and social varieties of English in North America, The Caribbean, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. Listening exercises are incorporated throughout to facilitate the understanding of different concepts, and the book also has an accompanying website with a wide range of speech samples, allowing readers to hear the phonetics of the varieties under discussion.

Focusing on English varieties around the world, this textbook provides a full introduction to key concepts in phonetics and phonology. It is accompanied with a range of integrated online resources, and includes in-chapter exercises throughout, making it essential reading for students and teachers of World Englishes, Applied Linguistics and TESOL.

Phonology in English Language Teaching is an introductory text, specifically directed at the needs of language teachers internationally. Combining an overview of English phonology with structured practical guidance, this text shows how phonology can be applied in the classroom. An introductory chapter provides the philosophical framework, followed by separate chapters on the phonology of consonants, vowels and prosody. As well as presenting core material on English phonology, the book explores the relationship of orthography to the English sound system from a historical and a present-day perspective. The final chapter focuses on lesson design and provides practical advice to teachers on diagnosing and responding to students' pronunciation difficulties. As central themes, the book examines English seen from the perspective of international usage and considers the relationship of phonology to communication and the broader language curriculum. Consistent with its practical and communicative orientation each chapter concludes with pedagogical exercises and ideas for classroom and community research projects.

Phonetics is the scientific study of sounds used in language- how the sounds are produced, how they are transferred from the speaker to the hearer and how they are heard and perceived. The Sounds of Language provides an accessible, general introduction to phonetics with a special emphasis on English. Focusing on the phonetics of English, the first section allows students to get an overall view of the subject. Two standard accents of English are presented- RP (Received Pronunciation), the standard accent of England, and GA (General American), the standard accent throughout much of North America. The discussion is arranged so that students can read only the RP or GA portions, if desired. Sixteen additional accents of English spoken around the world are also covered to provide students with wider international coverage. The author then moves on to introduce acoustics phonetics in an accessible manner for those without a science background. The last section of the book provides a detailed discussion of all aspects of speech with extensive examples from languages around the world. Containing student-friendly features such as extensive exercises for practising the sounds covered in each chapter; a glossary of technical terms; instructions on how to write phonetic symbols; the latest International Phonetic Alphabet chart and a detailed list of English consonantal variants, The Sounds of Language provides an excellent introduction to phonetics to students of linguistics and speech pathology and students of English as a second language.