Phonetics is important?

[Williamyh]

Hi All Native Speakers and English Teachers,

What do you think Phonetics? In my country, some people say we need to learn Phonetics, then our English would speak more accurate and much better. But some people say if we learn phonetics, our English speech will become a computer sound and lack of natural..they think most of native English speakers haven't learn the Phonetics and they actually can speak English fluently....so we don't need to learn Phonetics, we also can speak English well.....Please let me know what do you think?

WYH

[Teia]

Hi All Native Speakers and English Teachers,

What do you think Phonetics? In my country, some people say we need to learn Phonetics, then our English would speak more accurate and much better. But some people say if we learn phonetics, our English speech will become a computer sound and lack of natural..they think most of native English speakers haven't learn the Phonetics and they actually can speak English fluently....so we don't need to learn Phonetics, we also can speak English well.....Please let me know what do you think?

WYH

Hi

As far as I am concerned, Phonetics is an important part of studying English, especially when one goes further studying this language or when teaching English. Phonetics is a science, it`s the art of pronounciation words.

Phonics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[konungursvia]

Phonetics is the key to beginning the study of a language thoroughly and properly. Phonics is something else.

[Williamyh]

Phonetics is the key to beginning the study of a language thoroughly and properly. Phonics is something else.

I was wondering whether most of native english speakers had learned Phonetics in the beginning time. If not, how come they still can speak and pronounce well in English?

[konungursvia]

Don't say most of, unless you say "the" right after it.

When you're a baby, and you only hear one language, your imitation of it is perfect, so yes and no, you either have mastered the phonetics of the language, or no, you don't need to study its phonetics.

If you learnt another language first, say, Cantonese, your brain makes subconscious assumptions about language and its sounds, which lead you to hear a second language incorrectly. Studying the phonetics will help you overcome that.

[Williamyh]

Don't say most of, unless you say "the" right after it.

When you're a baby, and you only hear one language, your imitation of it is perfect, so yes and no, you either have mastered the phonetics of the language, or no, you don't need to study its phonetics.

If you learnt another language first, say, Cantonese, your brain makes subconscious assumptions about language and its sounds, which lead you to hear a second language incorrectly. Studying the phonetics will help you overcome that.

Thank you very much for your great answer and that's very clear to me. That means if our first language is not an English, then we should learn phonetics....

[raindoctor]

Phonetics and phonology are immensly helpful for L2 speakers. That's the only way to attain a native-like accent.

[konungursvia]

Phonetics and phonology are immensly helpful for L2 speakers. That's the only way to attain a native-like accent.

Absolutely. It's the # 1 pursuit to master. Then worry about the rest.