The exam type of questions:
a. Transcribing words to symbols and reversing some transcriptions to words. (So you need to have good knowledge of the shapes and sounds of the symbols).
b. To complete or draw either “The Consonants Table” or “The Vowels Grid”.
c. Theoretical questions like matching and complete. (Probably about the features of consonants and/or vowels).
How to be prepared for the exam:
1. The best is to start with “Unit 4 What are consonants? p.17”. You need to know the terms used to describe consonants. Study the definitions of words used to talk about the features of consonants: “Places Of Articulations”, “Manner Of Articulation”, and “Voicing”. Look at the table (p. 21) as you study each term. Understanding them will make the rest easier to study.
2. Have a copy of “the consonants table” next to you. Read “Units 5 to 9”. Focus on knowing the features of each symbol/sound. And go quickly through some of the mentioned examples. Most of the symbols are identical to the letter. Always go back to the table see you understand things right.
3. Read “Unit 10” quickly to have an idea about what you need to look at when you study vowels. There are four features here.
4. Have a copy of “The Vowels Grid p.49” next to you and open http://dictionary.cambridge.org/. (Units 11 to 13) are about individual vowels. It may make it easier to study vowels in groups (according to similarity).
5. Spend enough time studying each vowel. Practise drawing the symbol. Look the examples up in Cambridge dictionary. Revise the transcription of the word. Listen to the British pronunciation and repeat after it focusing on the sound in hand.
6. After knowing each single vowel well recognizing diphthongs (double sounds) will be much easier. You just need to look some words up and try the combinations.
Exercises: a. Transcribe the examples we were given for vowels and check Cambridge Dictionary to see if you’re right. (An Alternative to the Online dictionary is Longman Dictionary for Egyptian Secondary Schools).
a. Try drawing the consonants table and vowels grid from memory.Watch my video lessons http://www.youtube.com/user/HabibBishoy/videos
IMPORTANT: This is an attempt to help making the subject easier to study. It’s based on my understanding of what the professor said about the exam and my own experience studying phonetics. Please don’t blame me for not meeting your expectations in the exam.
