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slodziak · Joined: 17 Oct 2005 Posts: 143 Location: Tokyo

Would anyone know where I can find an example of the phonetic alphabet for learning English that some of my students seem to be familiar with from their school days?
I am currently doing some work with the International Phonetic Alphabet and a lot of it is new to many of them but some claim to have studied an alternative which has different symbols and markers of stress.
It maybe that there isn't only one, there maybe a myriad. If anyone has any ideas I'd really appreciate being pointed in the right direction.
Thanks

fluffyhamster · Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 2:16 am Post subject:

Ask to see some of the dictionaries or textbooks that they use(d). Probably they are used to respelling systems that have a somewhat smaller, simpler or more memorable inventory than the range of equivalent IPA symbols (sorry that I can't be more specific, this is just based on my seeing a variety of textbooks and bilingual dictionaries over the years). Or it could simply be that they prefer dictionaries that give pronunciation guidance in katakana (despite its obvious drawbacks).

Some threads that might be of interest:
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=55814
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=56764 (link at end of this second thread is to above first thread LOL)

GambateBingBangBOOM · Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 2021 Location: Japan

It's a much simpler version of IPA. Just look in the junior high books (New Crown has it, for example) starting from second year. English/er/ is marked with a schwa only, it's not a rhotacized one. Remember that they are learning an international version of English, although they say that it's "American" (but that's based on the spelling, and their love of stripes, as can be seen on the American flag).

TokyoLiz · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1548 Location: Tokyo, Japan

See http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/wells/ipa-english.htm

From what I've seen, Japanese dictionaries use IPA, transcribing the vowels the way Daniel Jones does.

Oxford, Longman and Lighthouse dictionaries are popular in schools, and both transcribe British English. Crack them open and have a look at the transcription symbols in the notes.

HTH.

slodziak · Joined: 17 Oct 2005 Posts: 143 Location: Tokyo

Thanks for all of the above.