Sounds and Writing Symbols in English

Summary

This educational video script focuses on the distinction between the writing and sound systems of the English language. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing the difference between spelling and pronunciation, as English uses 26 letters to represent 44 distinct sounds. The script encourages learners to pay close attention to these nuances, engage in exercises to identify vowel and consonant sounds in words, and understand the intuitive nature of speaking versus the learned skill of writing. By highlighting the complexity of English sounds and their representation, the video aims to enhance learners' speaking and writing proficiency.

Takeaways

• 📝 The English language has a distinct writing system and sound system, which are two separate entities that should be understood separately for effective learning.
• 🔍 The script emphasizes the importance of paying close attention to the differences between spelling and pronunciation in English.
• 📚 Learning to write is a skill that can be developed with effort, whereas learning to speak, especially for children, is more intuitive.
• 🌐 The script introduces the concept of 'upper case' and 'lower case' symbols in the English alphabet and invites learners to think about their necessity and usage.
• 🤔 It poses a question about the difference between the two sets of letters and why we can't just have one set, encouraging learners to ponder and find the answer themselves.
• 🔑 The script points out the disconnect between the first letter of a word and the sound it represents, highlighting the complexity of the English writing system.
• 📈 The importance of recognizing and understanding the 44 sounds of the English language, which are represented by the 26 letters, is stressed for better speaking and writing skills.
• 📑 The script provides exercises to help learners identify and practice vowel and consonant sounds in different words to improve their understanding of English phonetics.
• 📖 It is suggested that learning the sounds associated with each letter can help fix patterns in the subconscious, leading to more confident language use.
• 📝 The script differentiates between vowels and consonants, noting that vowels are more fundamental to natural language and are the focus for understanding the sound system.
• 📚 Lastly, the script encourages learners to observe their own language output to see the impact of their learning on their performance in English.

Q & A

What are the two main aspects of the English language discussed in the script?

The two main aspects discussed in the script are the 'writing system' and the 'sound system' of the English language.

Why is it important to differentiate between the writing system and the sound system in English learning?

Differentiating between the writing system and the sound system is important because they are very different things. The sound system is contingent upon how we speak, while the writing system, particularly in English, has a different set of symbols to represent sounds, which can affect learning and understanding.

What is the significance of the difference between uppercase and lowercase letters in the English writing system?

Uppercase and lowercase letters are significant because they serve different functions in writing. Uppercase letters are typically used at the beginning of a sentence or for proper nouns, while lowercase letters are used for the rest of the words in a sentence.

Why might learning to write be considered a skill that can be developed with effort, while learning to speak is more intuitive?

Learning to write is considered a skill that can be developed with effort because it involves learning a system of symbols to represent sounds. On the other hand, learning to speak is more intuitive, especially for children, as it is a natural part of language acquisition and less reliant on a formal system.

What is the purpose of the exercise involving finding words for each vowel and consonant sound in English?

The purpose of the exercise is to help learners understand and become more familiar with the 44 distinct sounds of the English language. By identifying words with specific vowel and consonant sounds, learners can improve their pronunciation and comprehension of spoken English.

How many vowel sounds are there in the English language according to the script?

According to the script, there are 20 vowel sounds in the English language.

What is the difference between the pronunciation of the letter 'a' and the sound it represents in the word 'apple'?

The pronunciation of the letter 'a' is represented by the sound /æ/ as in 'cat', but in the word 'apple', the sound it represents is different and there is no direct 'a' sound in 'apple'.

What is the role of paying attention to the differences between the writing and sound systems in learning English?

Paying attention to the differences helps learners to be more aware of the disconnect between how words are written and how they are pronounced. This awareness can lead to a better understanding of the language and can improve speaking and listening skills.

Why are there two different sets of letters, uppercase and lowercase, in the English writing system?

The two sets serve different purposes in writing. Uppercase letters are used at the beginning of sentences and for proper nouns, while lowercase letters are used for the rest of the words. The distinction helps in organizing written text and providing emphasis where needed.

What is the significance of the script's emphasis on the importance of paying attention to the details of the English language?

The emphasis on paying attention to details is crucial for learners to develop a deeper understanding of the language's complexities, such as the disconnect between spelling and pronunciation. This can lead to more effective learning and better language proficiency.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to English Sounds and Writing Systems

The instructor begins by emphasizing the importance of distinguishing between the sound system and writing system of English. They highlight that while learning to write is a skill acquired through effort, speaking is more intuitive, especially for children. The class aims to explore the differences between spelling (writing system) and pronunciation (sound system), noting that English uses various symbols to represent its sounds, a fact that learners should pay close attention to for effective language acquisition.

05:02

🔤 The Alphabet: Uppercase and Lowercase Letters

The script delves into the English alphabet, discussing the difference between uppercase and lowercase letters, and their usage in writing. The instructor invites learners to contemplate why two sets of letters exist and how English spelling uses these symbols to represent sounds. They also mention different methods used to teach and learn the alphabet, such as rhymes and associating letters with words, but note a disconnect between the letter names and the sounds they represent in spoken English.

10:06

🔍 The Disconnect Between Spelling and Pronunciation

This paragraph addresses the discrepancy between the written form of English words and their pronunciation. The instructor uses examples like 'apple' and 'cat' to illustrate that the first letter does not correspond to the initial sound of the word. They underscore the importance of recognizing this difference for learners and suggest that paying attention to these nuances can enhance one's understanding and confidence in the English language.

15:06

🎓 Learning Strategies and the Subconscious

The focus shifts to learning strategies, where the instructor advises learners to pay attention to the differences between written and spoken English, allowing these observations to influence their subconscious. They propose that this attentiveness will improve learners' confidence and performance in English. The paragraph also introduces the idea of observing one's own output to assess the impact of learning efforts.

20:07

📈 Understanding English Vowels and Consonants

The script introduces a chart of English vowel and consonant sounds, explaining that while there are only 26 letters in the alphabet, they represent 44 distinct sounds. The instructor emphasizes the importance of understanding these sounds for effective communication in English and provides examples of words that contain specific vowel and consonant sounds, encouraging learners to explore and recognize these sounds in their speech.

25:08

📝 Exercises for Sound Recognition

The instructor suggests exercises to help learners identify and differentiate between vowel and consonant sounds in English. They recommend creating lists of words that contain each of the 20 vowel sounds and 24 consonant sounds, using these lists to deepen understanding of how these sounds function in spoken English. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the value of these exercises in improving speaking skills.

30:12

🌟 The Miracle of Language: Finite Sounds, Infinite Words

In the final paragraph, the instructor marvels at the ability of a finite set of 44 sounds to generate an infinite number of words in the English language. They reflect on the complexity of learning to write using 26 symbols to represent these sounds and the importance of closely examining these sounds for improved speaking abilities. The script concludes with a reminder of the exercises and the promise of continued exploration of the English sound system.

Keywords

💡Writing System

The writing system refers to the method of visually representing verbal communication through written symbols or alphabets. In the context of the video, it emphasizes the difference between the visual representation of language and its auditory form. The script discusses the English writing system, highlighting the use of 26 letters to represent sounds, and the disconnection between these written symbols and the actual sounds made when speaking.

💡Sound System

The sound system is the collection of phonetic elements that make up the spoken language. The video script distinguishes between the sound system and the writing system of English, noting that while there are 44 distinct sounds in English, they are represented by only 26 letters, leading to complexities in the language's pronunciation and spelling.

💡Alphabets

Alphabets are the basic written symbols used in a writing system to represent the sounds of a language. The script mentions the 26 symbols of the English writing system, both in uppercase and lowercase, and discusses the difference between these two cases, as well as the process of learning these symbols as the foundation for both reading and writing in English.

💡Uppercase and Lowercase

Uppercase and lowercase refer to the two forms of letters in the alphabet, with uppercase being the larger, capital letters and lowercase being the smaller, regular letters. The video script explains their usage, such as the beginning of sentences and proper nouns, and poses a question about the necessity of having two different sets, inviting viewers to consider the implications.

💡Phonetic Transcription

Phonetic transcription is the representation of the pronunciation of words or sounds using symbols from a writing system. The script provides phonetic transcriptions for the sounds associated with each letter of the English alphabet, helping to bridge the gap between written symbols and their spoken sounds.

💡Vowels

Vowels are speech sounds produced without significant constriction of the airflow in the vocal tract. The video script identifies 5 vowel letters in the English alphabet and further discusses 20 vowel sounds that these letters can represent, emphasizing the complexity of the relationship between written vowels and their spoken sounds.

💡Consonants

Consonants are speech sounds that are articulated with a partial or complete closure of the vocal tract. The script outlines 24 consonant sounds in English and provides examples of words where these sounds occur, illustrating the variety of sounds that can be produced with the consonant letters.

💡Intuitive Learning

Intuitive learning refers to the natural and instinctive process of acquiring knowledge or skills without conscious effort. The video script contrasts this with the more deliberate process of learning to write, suggesting that children learn to speak intuitively, while writing is a skill that requires practice and effort.

💡Learning Strategies

Learning strategies are methods or techniques used to facilitate the acquisition of knowledge or skills. The script mentions various strategies such as using rhymes and associating letters with words (e.g., 'a' for 'apple') to help memorize the alphabet and the connection between letters and sounds.

💡Disconnet

The term 'disconnect' in the script refers to the lack of a one-to-one correspondence between the written symbols of English and the sounds they represent when spoken. This disconnect can make learning English pronunciation challenging, as the same letter can represent different sounds in different words.

💡Subconscious Learning

Subconscious learning is the process of acquiring knowledge or skills without conscious awareness or intention. The video script encourages viewers to pay attention to the differences between written and spoken sounds, suggesting that this awareness will subconsciously improve their English pronunciation and writing.

Highlights

The class focuses on distinguishing between the sound system and writing system in English, emphasizing their differences.

Learning to write is an acquired skill, while learning to speak is more intuitive, especially for children.

The English writing system uses 26 letters to represent sounds, with variations in upper and lower case.

The difference between upper and lower case is not merely stylistic but serves specific functions in writing.

The disconnect between the first letter of a word and its corresponding sound is highlighted as a common issue in English learning.

The importance of paying attention to the differences between written symbols and spoken sounds for effective English learning is underscored.

Vowels are identified as more fundamental to natural language and are distinguished from consonants in the learning process.

There are 20 vowel sounds in the English language, each with examples provided to aid understanding.

An exercise is suggested to find five words for each of the 20 vowel sounds to deepen comprehension.

Consonant sounds are also categorized and exemplified, with 24 distinct sounds presented in the transcript.

The transcript encourages finding sets of words for each consonant sound to improve sound recognition.

The finite set of 44 English sounds is responsible for the creation of an infinite number of words, a concept likened to a miracle.

The class transcript provides a detailed chart of vowel and consonant sounds with corresponding words for learning purposes.

The importance of phonetic transcription in understanding the pronunciation of English letters is discussed.

The transcript concludes with a reiteration of the significance of understanding the 44 sounds of English for improved speaking.

The class transcript is designed to improve learners' confidence in writing, reading, and speaking English by focusing on sound and writing systems.

Transcripts

[Music]

welcome to the class

today we will talk about sounds of

english

we are going to talk about writing

system in english

these are the two separate things

and right at the outset that is right

at the beginning of this

class i would like to tell you

to pay attention to these things

carefully

in order to learn different aspects of

english language it is important to

separate

these two once again we are talking

about

writing system in english and

sound system of english

if we try to simplify it further we are

going to be talking about

how we spell things

that is writing system and

what happens when we speak

are these two things different

if it is surprising to you then

you require even closer attention to

these facts they are

very different things

speaking is

contingent upon sound system

and writing particularly in english

has a different system that is

we follow we have different cis

different symbols to represent

sounds of english we are going to

elaborate

on that today as a note

as a footnote to this let me also add to

you

that learning to write is one of the

skills

that we can learn by putting in efforts

but learning to speak

particularly for children is quite

intuitive

and once we pay attention to these

things

things become easier for us to learn

let's move ahead

and talk about it one more disclosure

right at the beginning we are going to

be talking about

writing system and sound system

we we don't intend or we don't

employ that we are going to begin

teaching you alphabets we understand

that you know language and

almost all of you are at many different

levels in the process of learning

through these things

we are trying to work on

something we are trying to draw your

attention to something

that is rarely paid attention to

in the process of learning so let me

talk about

let me talk more about it when we move

further

so one more time learning to speak

and learning to write

and we are going to look at these things

for the purpose of learning english

when you when you learnt english

alphabet for the first time i am sure

you have paid attention to this

but i want to draw your attention to

more questions and then going to invite

you to check

if these questions came to your mind i

am sure

what you see on the screen is familiar

to you

these are 26 symbols

of english writing system

we depending upon when we

started to learn english writing system

we have to learn this thing first

so and and these

these things are taught in different

ways

whatever method you you applied to learn

these things

you have learnt these 26 letters

they are a b

c d e f

g h i j k

l m n o

p q r s

t u v w

x y and z

right from this point uh

when we the the last part when we

some people say this as g

some people say as said the difference

is between

british and american spoken system in

american system

this is known as z in a british

british system this is known as zet

that's how we

irrespective of the method applied

in learning we learn these things

then you must have learned the second

set

as well set one and set two

the difference between these two sets is

one is called upper case and the other

is called

lower case so uppercase symbols

and lowercase symbols i

i do not mean anything else when i say

symbols i know

they are alphabets and

they are used in writing system but the

reason why i am calling them

symbols again and again is very simple

and i want you to know that

the reason is we use

these symbols to represent

sounds that we speak and

we will dwell upon that when we move

further but let's

stick to the other question and for the

time being

and here is what i am inviting you to

think

why do we have two different sets

why do we have upper case

symbols and lowercase symbols

i know one answer is very simple we use

uppercase in the beginning of

a word

when those words are used in a sentence

we used

the upper case only at the first

at the initial position of the first

word in the sentence

and then there are lot of words which

begin with

upper case we use

upper cases in abbreviations and so on

we know

that's not my question my question is

couldn't we have just one

what difference would it make why do we

need two different sets think about it

not sure we have an answer to this

question

have you found an answer to this

question for yourself so far

please look at that try to find an

answer for yourself

this is just an interesting thing this

doesn't have much to do with

learning part nonetheless whether or not

we have an answer to the question

we know that we are we have two

different sets

and we use them in a ah we we know how

to use them

so like i said upper case

like one of them at the initial position

of a word

and at several words within a sentence

also

but not every word within a sentence

begins with uppercase

so most often proper names are

for proper names the initiate initial

position

we use uppercase like names etc

we we were talking a minute ago we were

talking about learnings

learning different methods of learning

ah

we some people learn it through rhymes

they they have for particularly for kids

there are a lot of lines designed so

that it

sounds like sounds little

melodious musical and becomes easy

for children to memorize them

and at the next stage of learning is

they give they

they give words like

a for apple b for ball

c for cat d for dog

e for elephant f for fan g for girl

h for house i for inc etc

i remembered the other ones too but i

have purposely left them blank

because i want you to test your own

understanding of learning alphabet at

the initial point

and see if you can fill up the rest of

it

now so the first first thing is

ah learning the whole symbol through

rhymes

and then giving examples of those lines

so that these are the two different

stages

then i asked you a question why two

different sets like why uppercase and

lowercase

you are already going to you are going

to think about that now here is another

ah another question and with that

question

we begin our discussion in more serious

sense

when we say a for apple what do we mean

say the word apple for yourself and see

if you hear a in that apple

apple where do we hear a in that

there is no a sound in the word

apple

this is a disconnect so

what we basically mean

and let me underline this again

i am not trying to make fun of it

by drawing your attention to this

neither i am

trying to ridicule the

sense employed within this process

what i am trying to tell you is when we

teach kids and when kids memorize these

things

as a for apple b for ball c for cat

d for dog etcetera etcetera

what what happens in that is

they are they are trying to learn

or they are the purpose is to teach them

writing system what is the writing

system

in the word apple the first letter is

a in the in the word ball

the first letter is b that's how that is

the reason why

we say a for apple or a

as in apple b as in ball c

as in cat so we mean the first

symbol first letter in the writing of

the word

cat is c because there is no

sound as k no sound as

c in the word cat

what is the first sound in the word cat

which is represented with c that

sound is k

so what are the sounds in this world i'm

purposely taking this

monosyllabic one small word

so the word begins with k

sound but we write

in the when we write the word cat at the

initial position

we write c so

and if you if you look at all of them

i have i have given you just few

examples

of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 words in

each one of them there is no a

sound in the word apple no b sound there

is no b

sound no c sound no

d sound in the word elephant

look at elephant do we have e

it's a elephant

f there is no f sound because the sound

is

power the form the sound is for

fan fine girl

g the sound is g

house begins with h the sound is

ha so if you if you pay attention to

me many words in english

you will realize that

the way we speak a word is different

from

the way we write in the sense that

there is no direct one-to-one

correspondence

between the sound system of english

that is the way words are spoken and

the way it is written with the symbols

representing those sounds this makes the

learning

little more difficult so

but my purpose of this the purpose of

discussing this for you here

is not to not to show you

difficulty my purpose is to draw your

attention to this

and please remember a key word here

paying attention please

keep paying attention to differences in

similarities

and the points where we are trying to

draw your attention

uh an effort in

looking at underlying pattern

and an effort in paying attention to

these things

will take you several steps ahead

learning as you know is subconscious

process

by paying attention to these things they

this effort will fix several things in

your subconscious

and then you will sound more confident

so first step is to pay attention

the second step is to allow

these things to function your

subconscious to fix some of them

and then third step is to observe your

own

output whether your learning has

whether your output has impact of your

learning or not

watch yourself through this process and

you will see

the results coming out

that is results of your efforts coming

out in your

performance that's a note on learning

but so so the idea is not to

show you difficulties the idea is not to

show you

problems but the idea is to bring your

attention to this point

point is there is a disconnect between

the two

not a big problem but we

we pay attention to this and through

that we learn

we give priority to learning

sounds and i'm going to

show you these things further and then

then it will have an impact on learning

we will also talk about

sounds to see the differences

between that is our effort in paying

attention to sound

system of english will also help us pay

attention

to how english sounds are different from

sounds in the language that we primarily

speak

and that difference that understanding

is going to sort them out

vividly clearly and it will have

impact on your learning so

this is what you have seen ah this is

just a

ah just another table of uppercase

and lowercase symbols so we use

only these 26 letters to represent

all sounds of english we are going to

talk about

all of them we are going to talk about

each one of them

and then we are going to find them in

different words

and you will see how they help you

learn to speak they help they help you

learn to

write and they help you feel more

confident

in writing reading and speaking

and and also in various different

aspects

various different stages of your

learning

english so here is here is

one more time i want your attention i

like this table

and therefore i brought this for you so

this is uppercase this is lowercase

uppercase lowercase

and this is english

this is this is a spelling of these

letters that is how these when we say

be how it sounds and in this one

you have been given a phonetic

transcription

of sounds involved so so pay attention

to that

so here is one

so you will understand why i have put

this

square brackets the first letter is

a how do we read it a

so b ba and long e

so the letter the pronunciation of the

letter

itself has at least two sounds in

in it that is ba and long e

same thing with c sir and long

e c so look at this it

b c d e

f g

h

h i j

k l m

n o p

q r

s t

u v w

look at this word this sound w

the the the pronunciation of this

one symbol involves

sounds which is like a word

x y z

or z as i said you can see here

z so this chart helps you

see the sounds involved in pronouncing

these symbols that is names of these

symbols

a b c d e

f g h i j

k l m n o

p q r s

t u v w

x y and z one more time

take any word any any one of these

letters and see

like t tur

so they sound like a word

and when we learn them memorize them

that's how we say these symbols

now

so that that's about writing

i i at this point when i am talking

about the difference between writing

and speech sounds

i am going to draw another distinction

ah and we will come back to these

consonants and vowels again

but it is important to mention them

right at this

at this point so when we

when we learn how many

vowels are there in english language

quite often you will find people say

5 and they are a

e i o u

a e i o u

a e i o

u so these are lower case

these are uppercase

what we and that's not wrong what we

mean

in that is some of these

symbols represent vowel sounds

that's another thing which i want you to

pay attention to

some of these these

five symbols represent vowel sounds

in english writing system

however when we look at

vocalic sounds vowel sounds

so so all the sounds are classified

in two categories one is

consonants and the other is vowel the

reason why we are talking about

vowels first is because vowels are more

fundamental

to natural language and you will see the

meaning of more fundamental being more

fundamental to natural language when we

move on further so here we have

this chart gives you an

example of 20

vowel sounds in english language

20 vowel sounds in

english language and

this chart also gives you an example of

a word

where they occur so

look at this look at some of them at

least

pit it has

a vowel e short e

pet and these

sounds are underlined in these words pat

burn burn

born boone bite

bait boy

toe house poor

ear air

these are 20

vowel sounds in english language

please look at this chart this

uh these examples carefully and

read them several times

these examples pay attention to these

sounds in these words

what it will do is it will

get you think about vowel sounds

in remaining words that you know vowel

sounds

in other words that you will speak

other than these what you must

also do is find another

five words at least

for each one of these vowel sounds

so that means you i'm asking you to make

a list of

hundred english words

where five five

examples for each one of these vowel

sounds

you don't have to do that in one go you

don't have to do that

in one day but if you can come up with a

set of 20 words 20

different words five times for each one

of these

20 vowels you'll get an idea of how

vowel sounds work if

five sets sound too much start with one

and then try to pay attention to

words that we write or speak what are

the vowels

involved in those words it it will be

quite an exercise

and will have serious impact on

how we understand vowel system

vowel sounds of english language

one more time to underline this thing

all these vowel sounds

are

all these vowel sounds become clearer in

the words

and not we are not talking about again

spelling that is the way we write words

we are talking about sounds

the way we speak

same way there are 24

consonant sounds in english

and this chart gives you example of

each one of them in with

with a within a word

so some of the words are repeated

and those sounds are those vowels

those consonant sounds are given in

capital

so what what we are doing here is like

pit

the sound is pa we we want your

attention to

sound per bit attention to

to sound ba tap attention to sound

dab attention to sound da

cab attention to sound ka

gab attention to sound ga

fan attention to sound

van sad zoo

man not hot lad

red red thought

them shy treasure

shine jam yum

sing so in the words thing

we want your attention to

sound so these are

20 consonant sounds in english

one more time i want to repeat myself

and i mean that is it possible

for you to find at least

five set of words with

these sounds it should be easier

with consonants

please pay attention to them please do

this exercise for yourself

and once you have these sets ready

the only thing you will need to do

afterwards

or you will end up doing afterwards

is every word that you have not not in

formal writing or speaking

not every moment every time but in

in your subconscious many times

you will end up finding

consonants and vowel sounds in the words

that you speak

and that's a very productive exercise to

do

so with that we are talking about

24 plus 20 that is

44 sounds of english language

remember there are only 44

sounds in english language and

these are the 44 sounds that are

responsible

for infinite number of words

that we make using these sounds

we speak infinite number of words using

these sounds

and i mean infinite in the sense that

nobody knows total number of words

in any given language do you know

about total number of words either in

english

or in the language that you speak as

your primary language

as your native language do you know the

total number of words

so how and why a finite set of

44 odd sounds are responsible

for infinite set of words

in any spoken language of the world

including english

is no less than miracle we will continue

talking about some of them for the

purpose of

learning english this is

this is a promise so one more time

this is yet another table

where 24 vowel sounds underlined

colored uh with their

phonetic transcriptions like pin bad

thin dog five

van thin that

man knows thing

half church jam

kind gun say

zoo ship measure

leg run work yes

sir 24 sound and then you have

again some examples here and finally

finally ah i know i have

talked about too many exercises for one

day

but they are they are not too difficult

exercises

ah we will we will stop

for today by telling you one more time

you do not have to do all these things

in one go but for the purpose of

learning

for the purpose of checking whether

the things that we have discussed that

is

writing using symbols

as a completely different exercise than

understanding sounds of the language

when we speak

they are two different things sounds are

definitely represented

using 44 sounds are represented

using 26 symbols in

for the purpose of writing that itself

is a

complex process which we go through and

learn

but paying attention paying close

attention to this

these 44 sounds of english

is going to improve the way we are going

to

speak or when you are when you are

speaking

its going to help you improve your

speaking better

thank you