Why are phoneticians so confident?

Kirk   Tue Jan 03, 2006 11:27 am GMT
<<Then, what do they do? >>

Well, the purpose of linguistics (in general) is not inhererently one of producing research and information to improve teaching of languages. However, some of the research and knowledge lingusitics has yielded over the past century or so has been very helpful in helping people learn languages. One excellent example of this is phonetic transcription. As much as Mxsmanic refuses to acknowledge it (for somewhat unclear reasons), the advances that linguistics has been behind have greatly increased the knowledge and information base available to ESL students and teachers alike (this also applies to other languages).
Young-Won Kim   Tue Jan 03, 2006 11:54 am GMT
Mr. Kirk

<<Then, what do they do? >>

>>Well, the purpose of linguistics (in general) is not inhererently one of producing research and information to improve teaching of languages.

Even though they do not intend to teach others, we read/practice their studies.

>>However, some of the research and knowledge lingusitics has yielded over the past century or so has been very helpful - - - .

Fully agreed, in spite of the fact that the present phonetics theories still have many problems..... I am trying/discussing/writing the perfection of phonetics.... And I think I myself have found the (near-) perfection, which I am writing on “acdemici”..... I am inviting review/comments on my study.
Mxsmanic   Tue Jan 03, 2006 11:54 am GMT
Kirk has explained what phoneticians and linguists do, although I disagree with him about the degree to which their work has advanced ESL teaching and the other methods of teaching languages. Teaching languages is in pretty much the same state today as it has been for many decades; there have been no significant breakthroughs, although advancing audio and video technology have opened a few opportunities.

I don't know which "professionals" find Koreans to be different from anyone else. I do find that students who claim they have a special difficulty in learning a language because of their nationality or native language are often just making excuses for being unmotivated or less than diligent in their studies.

In language learning I like to say that if you think you can learn a language, you're right; and if you think you can't learn a language, you're right.

If you don't want fluency, I'm not sure what it is that you want. You need fluency for communication. If you don't want to use English to communicate, I suppose the standard ways of teaching may not be suitable. For example, if you wish only to cite chapter and verse concerning arcane rules of English grammar, standard ESL courses probably won't be very useful to you. Academic English courses can be useful if you want credentials rather than fluency.

It's called the vocal tract, not the vocal mechanism, because speech is not produced solely by a mechanism but also by the inherent acoustic properties of the chamber formed by the vocal tract.

Phoneticians study speech, but they may or may not teach it. Those who don't teach it don't necessarily have any ways of teaching it to suggest. Indeed, nobody has really come up with any miracle methods for teaching languages. Some things seem to work better than others, but the differences are not usually that great.

The most important factors influencing the outcome of language teacher are the motivation and intelligence of the students. They are important enough that they can override all other considerations.
Young-Won Kim   Tue Jan 03, 2006 12:10 pm GMT
Gentlemen;

You seem to know what phonetics/etc. is like..... Then, since I have written something about (English or general) phonetics on “academici” at all, please visit/read the following site, and then let’s continue the discussion.

http://www.academici.com/net/lingistics.
http://www.academici.com/hp/YoungWon_Kim
garans   Tue Jan 03, 2006 3:21 pm GMT
Young-Won Kim,

I wasn't able to get there following the first link (I'm not smart enough).
On the second I've found the adverticement of your book.

Why should I follow you links?
Guest   Tue Jan 03, 2006 3:21 pm GMT
Are you sexist and not inviting Women too?
Young-Won Kim   Wed Jan 04, 2006 5:43 am GMT
Thanks <garans>

>>I wasn't able to get there following the first link (I'm not smart enough).

I have prepared two for emergency..... If URL http://www.academici.com/net/lingistics. does not work. then use http://www.academici.com/hp/YoungWon_Kim.

>>On the second I've found the adverticement of your book.
Why should I follow you links?

See below and you will find Groups “comparative phonetics”. If you click “comparative phonetics”, then the next page will appear.

See below again and you will find Board/description “comparative phonetics?”. If you click “comparative phonetics?”, then the next page will appear and you will see subjects.

If you click the subject of (e,g,) “liaison”, you will see articles..... Click the articles and read the contents..... The bottom subject is usually older.

Dear <Guest>

>>Are you sexist and not inviting Women too?

I eagerly invite ladies, only I do not know who is a lady or a man.
Young-Won Kim   Wed Jan 04, 2006 6:06 am GMT
Guest   Wed Jan 04, 2006 6:17 am GMT
<>>Are you sexist and not inviting Women too?

I eagerly invite ladies, only I do not know who is a lady or a man. >

Thankyou
Young-Won Kim   Wed Jan 04, 2006 6:20 am GMT
Young-Won Kim   Mon Jan 09, 2006 10:31 am GMT
Why no comment?
Young-Won Kim   Fri Jan 13, 2006 2:30 am GMT
Still no comment?
Young-Won Kim   Tue Jan 17, 2006 3:41 am GMT
Say something.
Gabriel   Thu Jun 15, 2006 2:06 pm GMT
<<When I browse internet, American (IPA) phoneticians like John Wells & Peter Ladefoged of <http://hctv.humnet.ucla.edu/departments/linguistics/VowelsandConsonants/course/chapter1/wells/wells.html> seem to have the world (including Europeans) at IPA’s beck and call.... But I think IPA’s phonetics theories have great errors.>>

American?? John Wells is very English. He was born in Bootle, Lancashire.
http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/wells/cv.htm
Zhuangzi   Sun Jun 18, 2006 4:11 am GMT
Phoneticians and linguists are typical of the "intellectual" parasites who inhabit our universities (paid for someone else). They do "research" of little value and write reports of interest to each other, but they and their reports and their " research"have little or no relevance to language learning.

Language learning is all about attitude, interest, and a lot of listening, reading and accumulation of vocabulary by whatever means works for you.