Hello, everyone. Welcome to Studies in English B (SinEb).
It is almost exactly 2 months since the last class in the first semester. I hope you enjoyed your 2 months’ holiday.
This semester will be more or less the same as last semester, except that
- we will spend more time practicing writing about linguistics topics, both for classwork and for homework.
- I will give more precise instruction in how to write.
- presentations will begin later in the semester.
Homework:
- Are all possible combinations of Japanese sounds used in the Japanese language?
- Write 5 possible combinations which are not actually used.
Today’s class
- Imagine you are teaching someone Japanese.
- Choose one Japanese sound and describe/explain how to make this sound.
- Look at handout #1 which has a table showing the main consonant sounds in English together with their scientific names and a description.
- Look at handout #2 which has a diagram of the human head showing the different positions for making the main English vowel sounds.
- Using handout #1, what English sounds are difficult for you to make?
- What kinds of sounds are difficult for ventriloquists to make? Why?
- What English sounds are also used in Japanese?
- What English sounds are NOT used in Japanese?
- What Japanese sounds are NOT used in English?
- What parts of the mouth are important when making vowel sounds?
- Invent a name for a new brand of Japanese car or drink or cartoon character.