Book Description
“Better English Pronunciation” is one of the best books on English pronunciation that can help students who are willing to improve their pronunciation skills for better English. English pronunciation is the thing that distinguishes your English from others’ English. Correct pronunciation of words helps you be understood by others easily.
The title of the book “Better English Pronunciation” suggests that the book aims at teaching you pronunciation through you make your English better. That is, pronunciation lessons taught in the book are going to make you speak better English ultimately making the communication impressive and intelligible.
No matter whether you are beginner learner or an intermediate learner or advanced learner, you can use this book in order to extract great knowledge about English sound system and how sounds are produced and how you can enhance your own pronunciation.
Why Prefer This Book to Learn Pronunciation?
Pronunciation refers to saying words of a language. How to say the words correctly and which parts of the mouth are involved in saying them are the features of a good pronunciation book. Thus, when you choose any book to improve your English pronunciation skills, you need to make sure that you make the right choice by asking yourself the questions mentioned above. If any book answers the questions, then you should go with it.
Here’s why you should prefer this:
- Introduction to Pronunciation: Before you attempt to learn pronunciation, make sure that you know what pronunciation is. The author, therefore, uses a beautiful method of introducing pronunciation to you by talking about the basic sounds, words and sound groups.
- Introduction to Speech Organs: The sound of a word is produced with the help of a mouth organ such as lips, teeth or palates. The author then moves to introducing the mouth muscles that are engaged in articulating sounds in English. Then he talks about the anatomy of your mouth discussing different mouth parts.
- Types of Consonant Sounds: One of the features of a good book on pronunciation is that it has discussed the types of consonant sounds in great details. The author has talked about the fricative, stop, nasal, palatal, labial, dental sounds of the consonants in English.
- Types of Vowel Sounds: The vowel sounds have been discussed in great details along with their types such as monophthongs, diphthongs and triphthongs. How vowel sounds are produced and from where they are produced have also been discussed in great details in the book.
- Exercises to Brush Knowledge: The book wonderfully has arranged a set of exercises after each and every chapter. Once you’ve completed a particular chapter, you should do the exercises in order to know how much you have improved. Remember that, when you are learning pronunciation, you are actually teaching your mouth a new direction to move and a new style which requires you to practice.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Foreword to the second edition
1. Problems in pronunciation
1.1 Introduction
1.2 “Lend me your ears”
1.3 Which English?
1.4 The basic sounds
1.5 Letters and sounds
1.6 Sounds and sound-groups
1.7 Words and utterances
1.8 Exercises
2. How the speech organs work in English
2.1 The vocal cords
2.2 The palate
2.3 The teeth
2.4 The tongue
2.5 The lips
2.6 Exercises
3. The consonants of English
3.1 Friction consonants: /f, v, θ, ð, s, z, ʃ, ʒ, h/
3.2 Stop consonants: /p, b, t, d, k, g, ʧ, ʤ/
3.3 Nasal consonants: /m, n, Å‹/
3.4 Lateral consonant: /l/
3.5 Gliding consonants: /j, w, r/
3.6 Exercises
4. Consonant sequences
4.1 Initial sequences
4.2 Final sequences
4.3 Longer consonant sequences
4.4 Exercises
5. The vowels of English
5.1 Simple vowels: /i, ɪ, e, æ, ɑ, ɒ, ɔ, u, ʊ, ɜ, ə, ʌ/
5.2 Diphthongs: /ɪə, eə, ʊə, eɪ, aɪ, ɔɪ, əʊ, aʊ/
5.3 Vowel sequences
5.4 Exercises
6. Words in company
6.1 Word groups and stress
6.2 Stressed and unstressed syllables
6.3 Weak forms of words
6.4 The use of strong forms
6.5 Rhythm in English
6.6 Fluency
6.7 Changing word shapes
6.8 Exercises
7. Intonation
7.1 Tune shapes
7.2 The falling tune – the Glide-Down
7.3 The first rising tune – the Glide-Up
7.4 The second rising tune – the Take-Off
7.5 The falling-rising tune – the Dive
7.6 How to use the tunes
7.7 Exercises
Conversational passages for practice
Answers to exercises
Appendix 1 The difficulties of English pronunciation for speakers of Arabic, Cantonese, French, German, Hindi and Spanish
Appendix 2 Useful materials for further study
Glossary
Summary: Better English Pronunciation
In conclusion, the book is ideal for those students who are really willing to enhance their English pronunciation skills and are looking for a proper guide book. The book can used by any learner of any level of English language.
The book covers all the essential topics that you should learn when you want to better your English pronunciation skills. It has touched on topics such as vowel and consonant sounds and their types, intonation, stress, syllables, speech organs, etc.
About The Author
