Customer Reviews

The most comprehensive introduction currently available! - By: , 14 Nov 2000
In my view, this book is the best introductory textbook to the fascinating fields of Phonetics & Phonology currently available.

As a mature undergraduate studying Linguistics, with no A Level English Language under my belt, I had no prior knowledge of the areas this book covers, & as such was disadvantagedin comparison to the other students who had done the A Level. However I soon found, with the aid of this worthy publication, that the playing field had been levelled.

This is not to say that this was the only book at this level that I read. In fact, I have at least four othersin my collection. Why this one stands out is because of its clear & informative style, understandable examples, & sensible, logical layout.

Initially there is an overview, laying out the underpinning theory that the modern sciences of Phonetics & Phonology are built on. The distinction between physical language & the underlying mental representation of its physical form, as adopted by Generative Linguistics, is introduced, & Phonology & Phonetics are placed into the 'big-picture' of a total language model that includes Syntax, Morphology & Semantics.

Next comes an introduction to articulatory phonetics: the actual physical mechanisms usedin the production of speech, including air stream, vocal cords & places of articulation. This then opens up the complete exposition of consonants & vowels, & details all the possible types of sounds that humans produce. Clear tables & diagrams are used throughout, making understanding & revision an easy task.

After this comes a chapter on Acoustic Phonetics, the captivating study of the properties of speech sounds. Not only does it consider the physical nature of these, but also focuses on the linguistically relevant acoustic features that play a partin production & reception. Here the authors have taken some complex physics & made it fathomable, no mean feat!

From here on, the book investigates the phonological rules & features used when we produce speech. Davenport & Hannahs introduce the Linear Model of phonology, as pioneered by Noam Chomsky & Morris Hallein The Sound Pattern of English, (1968. New York; Harper & Row), & developed by many, which to the uninitiated would make you run away faster than a gazelle! The chapters developin a logical manner, each building upon the previous, & the reader comes out with a sense of mastery over the data.

Throughout this discussion, however, the book does not take this Linear Model as gospel, & the authors frequently highlight problems that the model cannot account for. They introduce several alternative models, like Autosegmental Phonology & Feature Geometry, & the discussion of the relative merits is open & unbiased.

Finally, the book concludes with a well-written chapter that stresses the need to constrain the phonological model so that over-productive rules are dismissed with. Concepts like extrinsic vs. intrinsic rule ordering, abstractness & the power of the phonological component are discussed, leaving the readerin a frame of mind to delve into further reading.

Overall this is an excellent book, well written & interesting all the way. As a student of Linguistics this is a must, with exercises at the end of each chapter to test your knowledge, not just at degree level, at A Level too it will prove an invaluable resource. Also, for the non-academic with an interestin how we produce speech, Introducing Phonetics & Phonology is an excellent & enjoyable read.