Lingua Inglese 1 - Lesson 1

8/10/2019 Lingua Inglese 1 - Lesson 1

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Lingua e traduzione

Lingua Inglese IIntroduction to English morphology,

vocabulary and syntax: English words in use

and in combination

Elisa Ghia

[email protected]


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Outline of the course

1. Introduction: The structure of English andlevelsoflanguage(the rank scale)

2. Morphology: The formof English words:Inflection, derivationand compounding;Processes of word formation

3. Vocabulary: English words; vocabulary acrossdifferent English varieties; prototypicality;semanticrelationsbetween words

4. Syntax: phrases, clauses, sentences

5. Elements of spoken English


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Topics

Theory and practice

Topics explored in class (and in readings):

Notions in English morphology, vocabulary

and syntax

Analysis of language in context: Identifying

morphological and syntactic phenomena and

exploring vocabulary and meaning relations in

English texts


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Outline of todaysclass

Introduction: Levels of language

Overview of English phonetics and phonology

Why study English phonetics and phonology

English phonetics: What it can tell us aboutspeakers

Introductory notions in English phonetics, usefulfor morphology and the study of English

varieties Exploiting phonetics and phonology in English

texts


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What it means to study the English language

Using the language

Learning and knowing how the language works(metalinguistic knowledge)

Developing language awareness (how languageworks in context) to improve language use


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Language in context

CULTURE

CONTEXT

LANGUAGE


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Phonetics and phonology The sounds of English

Morphology

How English words are constructed Syntax How English words are combined into phrases,

clauses, sentences

Semantics Words, sentences and meaning Pragmatics

Words, sentences and use in context

Levels of language


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Phonetics and phonology

sheep [shi:p] vs. ship [ship]

Morphology

dogs, hopeless, wireless Syntax

Meet me | in my office | at 10.

Semantics pet, dog, Alsatian

Pragmatics

Could I have a drink? / Get me some booze!


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TEXT / DISCOURSE

SENTENCE

CLAUSEPHRASE

WORDSMORPHEMES

GRAPHEMES / PHONEMES

The rank scale

Syntax

Morphology

Phonology/p

honetics

Meaning

Semantics

Text analysis

/ Pragmatics

TOP-DOWN

BOTTOM-UP


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Levels of language, use of English and what

they can tell us about a text

Word form (morphology) and what it can tell

us about specific use of English

Vocabulary selection and what it can tell us

about specific use of English

Syntactic patterns and complexity and what

they can tell us about specific use of English


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Phonetics, phonology and the sounds of English

An overview

Phonetics: The study of spoken sounds in a language

Phonology: The study of the way in which sounds arecombined in a language to make meaning

Why study phonetics and phonology?

To improve your pronunciation

To help you study accents and pronunciation To study and understand changes in pronunciation in

the history of English

To help you understand changes in pronunciation

across contexts (e.g. formal and informalcommunication, spontaneous conversation vs. lecturesor speech on radio and television)


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TEXT / DISCOURSE

SENTENCE

CLAUSEPHRASE

WORDSMORPHEMES

GRAPHEMES / PHONEMES

The rank scale

Syntax

Morphology

Phonology/p

honetics

Meaning

Semantics

Text analysis

/ Pragmatics


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Phonology

Abstraction

Segments (phonemes) and suprasegments

(syllables, stress, intonation)

Phonemes and distinctiveness

Minimal pairs

bet/bat; bet/bed

[bet][bt]; [bet][bed]


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Phonetics

Concretephonetic realizations across

different speakers and English varieties

The notion of standard pronunciation

Received Pronunciation (RP) and GeneralAmerican (GA)

Standard English


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Gramley & Ptzold 2004


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Gramley & Ptzold 2004


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What is the most common vowel sound in English?

Bill Bryson, The Mother Tongue


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English and ghoti (G. B. Shaw)


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What pronunciation can tell us about speakers

Accents and varieties of English:

Changes in pronunciation across contexts:(My Fair Lady)

Eliza Doolittle: I ain't done nothin' wrong by speaking to the

gentleman. I've a right to sell flowers if I keep off the kerb. I'm a

respectable girl: so help me, I never spoke to him 'cept so far as to

buy a flower off me.

[] I ain't dirty! I washed my face and hands before I come, I did.

A little dab'll do ya. (Brylcreem)

Betcha can't eat just one.
http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10/File%20audio/my%20fair%20lady%20accent.mp3http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10/File%20audio/my%20fair%20lady%20accent.mp3


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Changes in pronunciation across contexts:

Geographicalcontext (varieties of English)

Social context (social status, standard vs. non-standard English)

Situational context (levels of formality and

colloquialness)


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Phonotactics and pronunciation of segments incontext

Differences in segments

A case study: British and American English Example 1.a

Example 1.b

Example 2.a

Example 2.b Example 3.a

Example 3.b
http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10/File%20audio/Phrase1%20-%20Honour%20among%20thieves%20-%20AmE.mp3http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10/File%20audio/Phrase%202-%20BrE.mp3http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10/File%20audio/Chattering%20classes%201.mp3http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10/File%20audio/Chattering%20classes%202.mp3http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10/File%20audio/newspaper.mp3http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10/File%20audio/newspaper%202.mp3http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10/File%20audio/newspaper%202.mp3http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10/File%20audio/newspaper%202.mp3http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10/File%20audio/newspaper%202.mp3http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10/File%20audio/newspaper.mp3http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10/File%20audio/newspaper.mp3http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10/File%20audio/newspaper.mp3http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10/File%20audio/Chattering%20classes%202.mp3http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10/File%20audio/Chattering%20classes%202.mp3http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10/File%20audio/Chattering%20classes%202.mp3http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10/File%20audio/Chattering%20classes%201.mp3http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10/File%20audio/Chattering%20classes%201.mp3http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10/File%20audio/Chattering%20classes%201.mp3http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10/File%20audio/Phrase%202-%20BrE.mp3http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10/File%20audio/Phrase%202-%20BrE.mp3http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10/File%20audio/Phrase%202-%20BrE.mp3http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10/File%20audio/Phrase1%20-%20Honour%20among%20thieves%20-%20AmE.mp3http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10/File%20audio/Phrase1%20-%20Honour%20among%20thieves%20-%20AmE.mp3http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_10/File%20audio/Phrase1%20-%20Honour%20among%20thieves%20-%20AmE.mp3


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Phonotactics and pronunciation of segments in

context

Differences in segments

A case study: British and American English

Rhoticity (actor, founder)

Intervocalic /t/ (city, water, better)

Post-nasal /t/ (nt) (intervocalic, interaction)

[d], [t], [n] + [j]

(dude, tube, news)


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Phonetics, phonology and advertising

in English

Guinness is good for you

Electrolux brings luxury to life

Milk's gotta lotta bottle

Sound repetition and

sound patterns


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Homophony

Playing withsounds


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Explain the following sound-based puns

Teacher: Tell me something thatconducts electricity.

Student: Why, er...

Teacher: Yes, wire! Now name aunit of electrical power.

Student: A what?

Teacher: Yes, a watt! Very good.

Alexander the Grate

(fireplace retailer in Belfast, Northern

Ireland)

A: My wife's gone to the West Indies!

B: Jamaica?

A: No, she went of her own accord!

[dmek]

What is black and white and redall over?


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Are the following homophones in English?


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Lingua Inglese 1 - Lesson 1

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