Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Matt's Initial Web Pick
I am recommending a terrific website that allows you to click on an IPA symbol and hear its pronunciation. It is an interactive chart of the International Phonetic Alphabet. For those that are less familiar with IPA, it is basically a set of symbols that have a one-to-one correspondence between sound and symbol. This will allow you to see the place, manner, and voicing of each sound and how that sound is realized. It will make the sound followed by the sound between two vowels for the pulmonic (made with air from the lungs) consonants. To be fair, this site will be less useful without knowledge of the IPA system. This is a minor obstacle, however, because it will probably be required information at some point in your TESOL career. The chart includes most IPA symbols, not just English, so be warned if many symbols are unfamiliar. Remember that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
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Matt, this site looks very interesting! My tutoring students use this system and I've forgotten most of the symbols. This will let me refresh my memory, and maybe show them the site for their own practice.
ReplyDeleteErica
Matt--
ReplyDeleteI was just speaking with a friend the other day about the IPA. He's always been a bit of an armchair linguist to a degree, and somehow we found ourselves asking if the IPA is somehow involved in stenography and court reporting. Actually, it started because we wondered how many keys were on that small court reporting keyboard...and it may have spun out a bit from there.
This sounds like a really interesting and useful site, as much for teachers as well as students.
Very cool site! I need to learn the IPA better. I've taken two linguistics classes so far and I'm still so shaky on it.
ReplyDeleteKatie
I love IPA! If it wasn't for homophones, I'd say we should adopt it as out alphabet... haha
ReplyDeleteThere are generally 22 keys on an American Steno machine.
ReplyDeleteThe IPA is an amazing discovery and I too think that if we could just use it for our alphabet, maybe kids could read before they get to first grade!