An introduction to the phonemic chart - taken from the November
2000 Newsletter The phonemic chart has been around for quite a
while & in the not too distant past the chart constituted the
sum of pronunciation in the classroom. We used to spend lots of
time teaching the sounds & trying to iron out difficulties with
minimal pairs. In recent times we have come to realise that
phonemics is only a part of pronunciation development. Phonology
can be seen in terms of suprasegmental aspects & segmental
aspects. The former includes intonation & the latter, the bits,
the individual sounds. In terms of communicative effectiveness
the suprasegmental aspects are vital for successful
communication - get the intonation wrong & there could be a
breakdown. As to the segmental side of things, the context will
probably sort out any sound problems. So the time we used to
spend on sounds has diminished & increased on intonational
aspects because of this recognition of what is more useful.
That's the theory anyway. I suspect that