CHAPTER 1 - Introduction

      The introductory chapter was a guide to start working. For example, this chapter explained this is a course designed to be studied from the beginning to the end, and not a reference book (the last one explains isolated topics).

      I could understand that the imperative goal of this course was to explain how English is pronounced in the accent generally chosen as the ordinary for people learning the features of spoken English.

      The Introduction of this course explains and informs about the academic relative advanced level in which the topic is presented. The author Peter Roach makes special emphasis on illuminating that it is usual to present this information in the context of a broad scheme about speech sounds and how they are used in language and in real situations.

     The nature of phonetics and phonology with one or two basic ideas need were introduced at this stage just to get familiarized with the further topics that came in a chain model, so it was essential to catch effectively the basis given on this initial part.

     Peter Roach describes the endorsement of using the BBC pronunciation rather than RP is not totally accepted due to comprehensible reluctant citizens from many parts of Europe that do not recognize BBC pronunciation as the standard one for countries such Scotland and Wales; even though the BBC one represents an exceptional Pronunciation Research Unit to guide on the pronunciation of hard words and utterances.

According to this chapter, the structure of the course includes:

·         Notes on problems and further reading to look for more sources to read and to investigate if necessary.

·         Notes for teachers with useful and opened ideas to teach interesting and fresh content for scholars.

·         Written exercises to assure and reinforce the learned material, it includes answers to avoid analysis breakdowns in class.

·         Course website that provides further exercises, articles and many tools for learners who do not have access to the net.

·         International Phonetic Association (IPA) chart to increase students skills to manage the whole course using adequate material to reach total acquirement on phonology tasks.


Here I place some of the most useful webpages to get familiarized with phonology content as this chapter engaged us:

http://www.indiana.edu/~hlw/PhonProcess/learning.html

http://www.brighthub.com/education/languages/articles/76062.aspx

http://www.idealcurriculum.com/phonological-awareness.html