Readings in English Phonetics and Phonology

Book excerpt: The teaching of the phonetics and the phonology of British English to undergraduate students is often based on a bare, uncritical presentation of facts as they are usually portrayed in classic publications such as Gimson-Cruttenden, Collins & Mees, Roach, Car, etc. While they present a welcome canonical view of language, there is a danger that students will end up holding a quasi-dogmatic opinion of the phonology of English, with little awareness of other views and approaches. In an attempt to overcome this limitation, the contributors to this volume have tried to combine theory and praxis in tackling different aspects of the phonology of English. The result is this book of readings which will hopefully provide students with reliable and up-to-date information on key issues both at segmental and supra-segmental level.