Eng 107 the organs of specch

WELCOME

TO THE PRESENTATION

WE ARE…

Introduction

We simply don’t know how human speech originated. But we see, all babies cry in the first few seconds or minutes after birth. Crying is the first use of the vocal organs and the first step towards speaking. Than very soon babies start to coo, gurgle and babble. When babies grow, they learn to speak slowly. This Language is the language of the people around him talking. This situation suggested that the original sounds of speech may have come from nature. Philologist suspect that some types of spoken language must have developed between 100000 and 50000 years ago.

Definition of Organs of Speech

The organs, which take part in the production of speech sounds, are called speech organs. When we speak, air comes out through the lungs and it is interfered at various places for the production of sounds. Sounds cannot occur without air.

How it works

Humans produce distinct words to communicate with one another. Speech is delivered with much speed; typically, a person who wants to speak does not need to think too much about what to say. When a person speaks, his or her thoughts are immediately converted into a spoken form as soon as the speech organs receive a signal or instruction from the brain. Therefore, speech occurs when a person’s brain and speech organs work together, although the organs of the respiratory system also play an important role in this process, as the vocal.

Classification of Organs of Speech Famous Philologist David Crystal divides the

articulators into two different ways according to its mobility. They are…

Articulators

Active Articulators

Passive Articulators

Active Articulators

The active articulator does all or most of the movement when a speech sound is made. It is usually the lower lip or a part of the tongue, because the tongue and lower jaw are free moving.

Passive Articulators

The passive articulator does little or no movement. It is the part of the place of articulation where the active articulator presses against: usually the upper jaw, upper teeth, roof of the mouth, or pharynx.

Important Organs

Figure 1: Organs of speech

The following diagram shows the main organs of speech.

The Lungs

Most human sounds are produced with pulmonary air stream. i. e. lungs pushing the air outwards

During speech, the lungs take in air rapidly and let it go slowly.

Nasal Cavity

The nasal cavity is a large air filled space above and behind the nose in the middle of the face. The main function of the nasal cavity is to act as the main passageway for the airflow entering the lungs. The nasal cavity also filters the incoming air, regulates temperature and humidifies the nasal passage to aid the filtering function

The Larynx

In the upper part of the trachea is a muscular structure which called the Larynx. It is responsible for producing voice, helping us swallow and breathe. It is commonly known as Adam’s apple.

The pharynx

The pharynx is a tube which begins just above the larynx. It is about 7 cm long in women and about 8 cm in men, and at its top end it is divided into two, one part being the back of the mouth and the other being the beginning of the way through the nasal cavity.

The Tongue

The tongue is an important organ of speech. It is divided into four parts: the tip, the blade, the front and the back. The number of vowels is produced with the help of the tongue. The tip of the tongue helps to produce /t, d, z, etc/. The blade of the tongue helps to produce /t∫, d, ∫, etc/. The front of the tongue helps to produce palatal sound /j/ and the back of the tongue helps to produce /k, g/ sounds.

The uvula

The uvula is the small finger-shaped piece of tissue that hangs down from the soft palate in the back of the throat. The uvula functions together with the palate, the back of the throat, and air from the lungs to create a variety of sounds used for speech.

The Lower lip

The lower lip can be moved to produce different sounds. It can make contact with the upper lip to produce sound.

The upper lip

In speech production, it is lower lip that reaches up to make contact with it and create different sound. The upper lip and lower lip help to produce bilabial sounds /p, b, m/. If the lips are held together, they produce different vowels.

Oral Cavity

The first section of the mouth is known as the oral cavity, or the mouth cavity. This entire structure is also called the mouth; the structures within the mouth allow us to manipulate the air that comes up from the voice box so that we can form words.

The Teeth

The teeth take part in the production of consonant sounds. The upper teeth only take part in the production of speech sounds. The sound produced with the help of the upper teeth are called dental sound (, r)=

Alveolar ridge

The alveolar ridge is the part between the upper teeth and the hard palate. The sound produced with the tongue touching the alveolar ridge is called alveolar sounds, e.g. /s/, /t/, /d/, etc.

Hard plate

The hard palate is a thin horizontal bony plate of the skull, located in the roof of the mouth. It is important for speech. The interaction between the tongue and the hard palate is essential in the formation of certain speech sounds, notably /t/, /d/, and /j/.

Soft plate

The last part of the soft palate is called uvula. When it is lowered, the nasal sounds (/m, n, ŋ/) are produced. When it is raised, the air passes out through the oral cavity and the oral sounds (/p, t, k, s, etc/) are produced.

Importance of Organs of Speech

Speech organs are one of the most important subjects in the study of phonetics. It helps us to understand the articulators which are involved in the production of sounds or phones. A clear conception about articulators can change the style of any individual’s pronunciation. The knowledge helps a native more accurate in his first language (mother tongue). Moreover, it helps a person to be more native like in his or her second language. Overall, a well rounded knowledge of organs of speech is not only necessary for the students of linguistics but also for the general people.

Conclusion

Producing different speech sounds depends on the movement of speech organs. It is essential to know the movement and the placement of each organ to produce particular sounds. The above descriptions and functions of the organ of speech help you to guide students to produce the consonants and vowels in a right way.

References

01. Harmer, Jeremy. The Practice of English Language Teaching. 3rd ed. England: Longman-Pearson, 2001. 28 - 35.

02. Roach, Peter. English Photonics and phonology. 4th ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. 08 - 10.

03. Yule, George. The Study of Language. 4th ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. 01 - 06.

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