On Sound Symbolism: Its Implications on English Pedagogy

• Main Authors: Joan Chiung-Yu, Chen, 陳瓊玉
• Other Authors: Chien-ching Mo
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2000
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/81039665839600740902

碩士 === 國立政治大學 === 語言學研究所 === 88 === Abstract This thesis aims to explore the phenomena of sound symbolism (SS hereafter) in English in terms of articulatory phonetics and acoustic phonetics. The scope of the research covers 5 cardinal vowels, the schwa sounds, 20 single consonants, 29 word-initial two-letter consonant clusters, and 6 word-initial three-letter consonant clusters. Meanwhile, there are some implications on English pedagogy found in the research. First, by providing the association between sound and meaning, SS enriches phonics, which deals with the relationship between spelling and sound, so that spelling, sound and meaning are combined in English vocabulary teaching. Besides, SS turns passive, teacher-centered vocabulary instruction into an active, student-centered one, and this corresponds with the principles of cognitive learning theory. Moreover, the application of SS in teaching English language will help develop learners’ phonological awareness, which improves their pronunciation, spelling and reading abilities. SS at the same time completes other vocabulary teaching methods. Lastly, SS strengthens the instruction of English phonetics in that, if provided with some example words subject to SS phenomena, the features of a sound will be observed and conveyed more easily. Complete in the analysis of SS in English, this thesis pioneers in the following aspects. First of all, this topic is treated in the viewpoint of both articulatory phonetics and acoustic phonetics. Secondly, the historical development of a sound is taken into consideration, and consonant clusters such as sch-、sk- and sh-, therefore, are deemed to have the same sound-meaning relationship with sc- and shr- with scr-. Besides, such s-initial consonant clusters as sl-, sm-, and st- are analyzed in an unprecedented way, some phonological evidences considered. Finally, this thesis proves that there are other non-arbitrary associations between sound and meaning besides onomatopoeic words.