Kristi Dowty ENGL 420: Principles of Language What is Phonology and Why is it Important? It is the study of sounds in all languages. “Phonology also tells us which sound combinations are acceptable to form words in a language, and how different languages use different meaningful sounds.” (Barta, 2023) It also helps us to understand how speech sounds can be used express meaning within more than one language. Because of its organizational process, phonology plays a role in sign language because its uses physical actions to use communicate. Phonology is broken down into three categories phonemes, allophones, and morphemes. “Phonological awareness is essential for reading because written words correspond to spoken words. Readers must have awareness of the speech sounds that letters and letter combinations represent in order to move from a printed word to a spoken word (reading), or a spoken word to a written word (spelling) (Moats, 2010) It sets the stage for decoding, blending, and word reading. Phonology usually begins before a child starts formal school and continues on throughout their school years. It is important for readers to have awareness of speech sounds, letters and what letter combinations represent in order to translate from printed to spoken word or spoken word to written word. Breakdown of Phonology
Phonemes are the basic unit of phonology that is an individual speech sound represented by a letter, for example, the letter p. There are some exceptions to this in which two letters represent a single sound, for example sh. Each language has its own set of sounds that can be combined to create words. Early in speech and language development, childrens are indistinguishable no matter what their language background is. “Ultimately, however, they develop a repertoire of sounds and rules for their combination that are specific to the language to which they are predominantly exposed.” (Anderson, 2001) Examples of Phonology the phoneme /e/ is different from the phoneme /i:/, so if we use the word set [set] instead of seat [si:t], the meaning of the word will change
Pat and bat - Rhyming
Pat and bet - Change of vowel
Pop up - Two different p sounds “pa-op” “up”
Sh - ssssssshhhhh
Ough - f sound like ruff for the word rough
Errors with Phonology with Kids “A phonological error is when a child says one sound instead of another. This happens in a pattern and is called a “phonological process. When a toddler wants to say words that have sounds in them that they can’t say yet, the toddler will use easier sounds in the place of the later developing sounds they can’t say yet.” (Sharon Powell, 2018) These errors can change the meaning of the words or phrases, making it confusing for the listener. Articulation error is another thing that can affect phonology. This is when a child is not able to pronounce a sound at all or say it incorrectly, which changes the meaning of the word. “The most common articulation error is an “interdental lisp” where a /th/ sound is said instead of an /s/ sound. 70% of children up to the age of 4 ½ will talk with an interdental lisp.”
Some examples,
“Lellow” instead of “yellow”
Errors with Phonology and Teaching 1. Teachers are not teaching phonics every day. It is crucial for K-2 graders to receive phonics instruction every day as this is the time frame when speech and language development is learned most. 2. Teachers only focus on general word knowledge or specific word knowledge. “We build students' general word knowledge when we teach them the sound of short e, or the "oa" vowel team. Because many words in English follow patterns, we want students to learn common patterns so that they can read and spell many, many words.” (To Spelling, 2024) 3. Keeping phonic instruction the same throughout the year. K-1st grade, allow more time for reading or having students reading longer texts as the year goes on. 2nd grade, as students demonstrate their proficiency skills, then begin to focus less on isolated phonemic awareness activities 4. Moving on to the next phonic skill too quickly before students have practiced and gained an understanding of the skill 5. Not incorporating review work with any new phonic instruction. Each new phonic lesson should start with a review of the previous lesson. Ways to Teach Phonology - Read aloud to students frequently choosing books that having rhyming sounds or repeat the same sound. This allows students to pick up on sounds, syllables, and rhymes. Make sure to involve students in identifying rhyming words and repeating sound words - Allow students to recognize rhyming words without assistance. Also provide them with groups of words and have them point out the words that do rhyme and the ones that do not - To understand syllables better, have students clap out the “beats” of the word as they say them. Stomping or jumping to each syllable is another way to teach syllables - Using games or activities to help with learning phonics. “I Spy” is a fun game all kids enjoy. An example would be “I Spy something yellow that starts with the letter B” - Almost all kids enjoy singing or learning songs in class. A classroom favorite is the “Apples and Bananas” as children are able to learn how the words apple and banana change when a vowel is changed - Help your students learn how to blend sounds together to make words. For example start with the letter h and add it what word does this give you - Teach students how to break apart words. Give students a word like baseball. Students will take away the word base and be left with the word ball - Using hands on activities is a great way for kids to grasp phonics. Having them make a collage out of words that start with the same letter, rhyme, or even have the same sounds - Do your research on fun ways to teach kids activities. Make sure the activities are fun, short, and simple Developmental Aspects of Grammar Instruction There are five basic rule system to language development:
Syntax - Word order to form clauses, phrases, and sentences. This would include the rule of a complete sentence needs a noun and a verb
Morphology - Change in meaning at word level. This includes “Morphemes, like prefixes, suffixes and base words, are defined as the smallest meaningful units of meaning.” (Victoria State Government, n.d.)
Phonology - Structure, distribution, and sequencing of speech-sound patterns
Semantics - Meaning and context of words or grammatical units. Words like last stop and destination have the same meaning, yet can be interpreted differently based on the reader
Pragmatics - Language use across communication contexts. This could be talking to a baby versus talking to an adult, being aware of what the listener already knows, and speaking louder in a noisy environment Grammar and ELA Mastery Having an understand of grammar and being able to apply grammar are important for effective communication. Without proper grammar, clear and precise communication would be non existent. It gives rules and structures for organizing words, phrases, and sentences. Grammar is also important to develop strong writing skills no matter what is being written. It allows us to understand proper punctuation, verb tenses, sentence structure, and subject verb agreement. Grammar helps improve reading comprehension because it allows us to understand the meaning of sentences and phrases more easily. Grammar also helps us gain confidence in speaking as it allows us to properly form sentences together as well as use correct verb forms. Without grammar, there would not be effective communication and is necessary in order to grow and strengthen your language development and proficiency. References Anderson, S. R. (2001). Phonology - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. Www.sciencedirect.com. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/phonology#
Barta, A. (2023). Phonology | Definition, Rules & Examples. Study.com.
Education, M. D. of E. and S. (n.d.). Skills for Early Reading: Phonological Awareness - Evidence Based Early Literacy. Www.doe.mass.edu. Retrieved April 14,
2024, from https://www.doe.mass.edu/massliteracy/skilled-reading/fluent-word-reading/phonological-awareness.html#
Fors, A. (2021, August 22). The 5 Components and Development of Language. Allison Fors, Inc. https://allisonfors.com/language-components-and-development/
Johnson, K. (2023). Ways to Build Phonological Awareness in Pre-K and Kindergarten. Www.understood.org.
Sharon Powell, T. T. (2018, August 8). Different types of speech difficulties: Articulation and Phonological errors. Time to Talk. https://www.atimetotalk.com.au/
To Spelling, F. S. (2024). 5 Common Mistakes Teachers Make When Teaching Phonics. Www.fromsoundstospelling.com.
