1. English Front Vowels & Central Vowels

2. Objectives: Students will be able to:
Define - in their own words a definition for front vowels & central vowels;
Compare – based on the understanding of the basic concept, compare them with other vowels;
Practice – imitate the sounds and do practice.

3. Organs of speech.
1. 上唇 Upper lip 下唇 Lower lip 上齿 Upper teeth 下齿 Lower teeth 上齿龈 Upper teeth ridge 硬腭 Hard palate 软腭 Soft palate 小舌 the uvula
9. 舌端 The tip of the tongue 舌前 The front of the tongue 舌后 The back of the tongue 喉头 throat 声带 the vocal cords 器官 organs 咽头 the pharynx 口腔 the mouth cavity 鼻腔 the nasal cavity

4. English vowels & vowel classification
The English pure vowels can be classified according to
the height of the raised part of the tongue
the part of the tongue raised
the position of the lips

5. Three factors for the description of English vowels
I. The height of the body of the tongue –
highest point of tongue (vertical axis);
II. The front-back position of the tongue –
highest point of tongue (horizontal axis);
III. The degree of lip rounding - lip posture

8. Locations of the tongue

9. Tongue positions for English front and central vowels (unrounded):

10. /i:/ /i/ /e/ /æ/ There are four front vowels : /i:/ /i/ /e/ and /æ/
For all of them the tip of the tongue is pressed against the lower teeth. The front part of the tongue is raised at varying degrees. There is no lip-rounding, lips are spread or kept neutral.

11. /i:/
The front of the tongue nearly touches the front part of the hard palate, and the muscles of the tongue and cheeks are tense. The lips are drawn back in a “smile” and long voiced sound is produced.

12. /i:/ is usually read in the following letters or letter groups : e ea ee ei i ie
achieve agree appreciate believe eat treat peak seed bee lead secret free
need meet ease
meal leave deep

13. // hit bit pit

14. /i/
The general position of the tongue resembles that of /i:/, but the front of the tongue is lower and drawn back a little. The lips are spread and the tongue is lax.

15. /i/ is usually read in the following letters or letter groups : i y
ability business busy consider delicious difficult diligent live tit
it mitt pick
bid mill sin
bit dip

16. // bet set head

17. /e/
The lips are more loosely spread and slightly further apart than for /i/. The front of the tongue is near the upper teeth ridge.

18. /e/ is usually read in the following letters or letter groups: a e ea u
anybody anything benefit depend
essential everybody everything forget
intelligent impress pleasure guess
hem peck rest sense
net set led red

19. // bat pat fat

20. /æ/
The front of the tongue is slightly raised. The whole tongue lies low in the mouth. The lips are spread with the widest opening between the jaws among the front vowels.

21. /æ/ is usually read in the following letters or letter groups: a
absolutely action challenge plan
and exactly mass handle examination than graduate happy outstanding plan gas bat
advantage(AE) laugh (AE) Chance (AE)

22. /:/ bird certain skirt

23. // about aware flower

24. Ex. Say the tongue twister and pay attention to the vowels.
Betty Botter’s Better Batter
Betty Botter had some butter,
“But,”she said, “this butter’s bitter.
If I bake this bitter butter, It would make my batter bitter. But a bit of better butter, That would make my batter better.” So she bought a bit of butter – Better than her bitter butter – And she baked it in her batter; And the batter was not bitter. So ‘it was better Betty Botter Bought a bit of better butter.

25. After-class assignments:
1. Review and remember the words, phrases, sentences, tongue twisters and the rhymes learned in class.
2. Make sentences, dialogues and / or advertising slogans containing the front and central vowels.
3. Learn to sing an English song: You are my sunshine .
4. Practice speaking exercises in unit 5