INTRODUCTION

THE NATURE OF SPEECH

Spoke language consists of successions of sounds emitted by organs of speech. These successions of sounds are composed of speech sounds proper and glides.

Speech-sounds are certain acoustic effects voluntarily produced by the organs of speech, they are the result of definite actions performed by these organs. A glide is the incidental transitory sound produced when the organs of speech are passing from the position for one speech sound to that of another by the most direct route.

Speech-sounds are made voluntarily; they required that the speech organs shall be placed in certain definite positons or moved in certain definite ways. The speakers have to go out of his way in order to make a speech-sound.

On the other hand the speaker does not have to go out of his way in order to make a glide; glides occur as the natural and inevitable result of pronouncing two speech-sounds after the other.

Most glides are inaudible or hardly audible even to the most paractised ear; most of the glides occurring in English require no special consideration in the practical teaching of the language.

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