In an era of globalization, mastering English language has assumed great significance. Communication in English has become an essential skill for the second language learners. To speak English accurately with correct pronunciation, a fair knowledge of English phonetics and phonology is a must. But it is not so easy a task to have mastery on this subject, unless one makes his/her stepping stone sound and strong.
The book A Beginner’s Companion to English Phonetics and Phonology is a humble attempt to make the students understand the basics of English phonetics and phonology. It is primarily designed as an introductory guide book to those students who have no prior knowledge in the said realm but are studying phonetics and phonology at the university level.
This book demystifies the world of English phonetics and phonology—starting from the mechanism of speech production and the role of vocal organs in it to the articulation and classification of English vowels and consonants, along with the syllable structure, word-stress and intonation pattern in English. The terms, concepts and their analysis are presented in such a precise and easy-to-understand manner that even a beginner/fresher can get an opportunity to apprehend and appreciate the fundamentals of English phonetics, phonology and pronunciation.
The materials in this book are organized in the form of points, with utmost clarity and exactness. The most important technical terms and terminologies related to phonetics and phonology, whenever defined and explained, are printed in bold type in order to attract the attention of the readers. The most remarkable feature of this book is the Exercises and their Keys which give the readers an ample scope for better understanding, and also create a zest for further reading in this field. The book will definitely prove to be a great asset to all those readers/scholars who want to have a solid foundation in English phonetics and phonology.
Dr. Bijay Ketan Pattanayak, born in the village Alalbindha of Odisha, had his schooling at the prestigious Jaleswarpur Government High School, graduated with English Honours and Distinction from reputed Fakir Mohan College (under Utkal University), Balasore, Odisha, did his M.A. in English (First class) from Utkal University, Odisha and Ph.D. from Ravenshaw University, Odisha. He has been teaching in the P.G. Department of English, Rural Institute of Higher Studies, Bhograi, Odisha. Presently, he is engaged in his post-doctoral research.
Dr. Pattanayak has been the Associate-editor in the College Magazine Swarnarenu for more than twenty years. He has published numerous articles on diverse literary subjects and current topics in reputed national and international journals. He has authored several books to his credit. These include Aspects of Post-Structuralism, Theory of Deconstruction and Feminist Criticism, Reflections on Maxims and Mottos, Punctuation and its Allies, Dynamics of Twentieth Century Literary Criticism and Linguistics Made Easy. His books have received overwhelming response from the readers. His areas of interest include Literary Criticism, Literary Theories, Linguistics and Phonetics, Grammar, Indian English Fiction and Religious Literature.
