Scholastic Spoken English: A Guide to English Sound System and Correct Pronunciation

This book is an indispensable companion for broadcasters, public commentators, mass communicators, public speakers, public relations personnel, students and teachers of English Language and all who wish to speak good and acceptable English, as it combines a painstaking description of English phonetics and phonology with an in-depth focus on commonly mispronounced words by non-native speakers of the English Language. Each chapter ends with model examination questions to help readers or learners assess their competence and mastery of the sounds and pronunciation of English words. Gone are the days when the English Language was seen by non-native speakers simply as a medium of communication of ideas. Nowadays, the language, even for non-native speakers has ‘graduated’ from intelligibility and grammatical competence to phonological competence which is now the hallmark of a good speaker of the language. In order to speak acceptably, be respected as good speakers and avoid miscommunication, we need to pronounce words correctly.
Though primarily designed for public examinations like the Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE/SSCE, GCE) as well as the Unified Tertiary University Matriculation Examination (UTME) in West Africa, the book is an indispensable companion for candidates preparing for examinations like TOEFL, IELTS, TESOL, IGCSE and other oral English related examinations. The book is also recommended for those taking refresher courses in English As a Foreign or a Second Language (TESOL/TEFL) and could also serve as an invaluable tool for broadcasters, public commentators, mass communicators, public relations personnel and indeed all who wish to speak good and acceptable English.
Experience has shown that even among native speakers of English, there is always the tendency to mispronounce English words. So many sounds have also been distorted by second language speakers such that we even find it difficult to accept the correct pronunciation as the right one. To worsen the situation, even those who are seen as arbiters or authority in the language like broadcasters and language teachers also muddle up some English sounds. Children, therefore, grow up learning the wrong forms and this is transmitted to the incoming generations. It is, therefore, advised here that speakers should stick to the correct and acceptable pronunciation when they know such, instead of following the crowd for fear of being labeled pedantic. This is the only solution that will not only benefit them but also help to prevent the transmission of wrong legacy to the yet-unborn generations.
Added to this problem is the fact that, in recent times, there have not been textbooks, which adequately focus on this problem. Most of the Oral English texts around do not focus on the present realities. The book adequately tackles this problem. It goes a step further in successfully treading in paths where even ‘angels’ have feared to tread. The book not only explores the various sound segments fully, but also focuses on some words which are erroneously pronounced as containing the sounds, as well as those which are erroneously thought not to contain the sounds but actually do. Many of these words were taken from past examination questions and everyday conversations. In cases where this is relevant, parts in words that do not contain a sound but are commonly and wrongly given the sound are written in bold format to draw attention to them. Words are also transcribed so learners can see the sounds represented in them. In cases where a word contains a sound but is commonly mispronounced, the parts commonly mispronounced are underlined and then transcribed. As if that is not enough, the audio CD accompanying the book (if available in your region), is a useful tool which should be used to the fullest by readers. The CD focuses on correct pronunciation of example words used in the book.