Necessary Noises - An Introduction to English Phonology

How do we produce the sounds that make up the English language? What happens when we link those sounds together in connected speech? Why doesn't English spelling reflect the way we say words? Why do some people make every sentence sound like a question? What is happening to the pronunciation of British English? Necessary Noises attempts to answer these and other questions in a style that aims to be at all times clear and accessible to the reader approaching the subject of phonology for the first time. No attempt is made to deny the existence of technical terminology (which would be a futile task), but the specialist vocabulary is explained in plain English which avoids any suggestion of mystification of the subject. The reader is not expected to have an entirely passive role in this exploration of the noises that are so necessary for communication between human beings. A series of tasks - some involving reflection, others requiring active participation - accompany the explanations in a text that can be used both in the classroom or for private study. Steve Buckledee has taught English language in various state and private institutions in London, Canterbury, Oporto, Madrid, Milan and Rome. At present he teaches English language and linguistics at the University of Cagliari in Sardinia.