Do schools teach dictionary-style pronunciations?

Dario D. · Jul 20, 2008

Hi all.

Simple question, I think: Were you ever taught how to understand dictionary-style pronunciations at any point in your schooling? (if it was in a public school, please mention what country it was)

Just trying to figure out how many people roughly understand pronunciations like "[pʰɹɜʊ̯ˌnɐnsiˈeɪʃn̩]" (pronunciation), and other methods.

Thanks.

Albedo · Jul 21, 2008

That's IPA. The standard dictionaries used in schools in my country use a special phonetic pronunciation guide, so it would be something like "pro-nun-see-ai-shun". I do know IPA though because I use a real dictionary now (Concise Oxford).

FinbarReilly · Jul 21, 2008

Dictionary-style, yes. However, not that particular dictionary style...

FR

alleycat · Jul 21, 2008

Dario D. said:
Just trying to figure out how many people roughly understand pronunciations like "[pʰɹɜʊ̯ˌnɐnsiˈeɪʃn̩]" (pronunciation), and other methods.

I certainly hope they're not teaching children that.

When I was in school (a long, long time ago), we started using the dictionary to look up various things about words starting in the third grade.

[The quote function lost the formatting of the original post. Sorry about that.]

Tsu Dho Nimh · Jul 21, 2008

When you say "School" do you mean primary, secondary or college?

I don't remember,it's been so long ago.

IceCreamEmpress · Jul 21, 2008

It seems like you're using the symbols of the International Phonetic Alphabet, but that's not an accurate phonetic transcription of the word "pronunciation".

In US schools, pronunciation is generally indicated in books by phonetic spelling using the Roman alphabet only. Most US dictionaries use Roman-alphabet phonetics rather than IPA.

So an elementary schoolbook here might say something like, "Pronunciation (pro-nun-see-AY-shun) is very important in understanding words."

kuwisdelu · Jul 21, 2008

IceCreamEmpress said:
It seems like you're using the symbols of the International Phonetic Alphabet, but that's not an accurate phonetic transcription of the word "pronunciation".

In US schools, pronunciation is generally indicated in books by phonetic spelling using the Roman alphabet only. Most US dictionaries use Roman-alphabet phonetics rather than IPA.

So an elementary schoolbook here might say something like, "Pronunciation (pro-nun-see-AY-shun) is very important in understanding words."

Albedo said:
That's IPA. The standard dictionaries used in schools in my country use a special phonetic pronunciation guide, so it would be something like "pro-nun-see-ai-shun". I do know IPA though because I use a real dictionary now (Concise Oxford).

Lots of dictionaries (especially American ones) use their own twisted form of IPA that isn't IPA at all. There's often a key at the beginning of the dictionary that tells you what symbols mean what, and lots of times it can be rather arbitrary from dictionary to dictionary.

I know IPA thanks to my linguistics class. Dictionaries that use IPA I can understand. But dictionaries that use anything else (including regular Roman alphabet attempts) leave me clueless.

Orientalist · Jul 21, 2008

I learned something like that in 4th grade, when we were issued dictionaries and learned how to find words by alphabetical order and so on. This was in Massachusetts, fwiw. That system definitely wasn't as simple as the one Albedo used.

I learned IPA in a linguistics course as a freshman in college.

Dario D. · Jul 21, 2008

Okay, thanks for the help, all.

Got the help I needed.

JoNightshade · Jul 21, 2008

Er, I learned this in college linguistics. Never in primary or secondary school, though.

Do schools teach dictionary-style pronunciations?

Please check all that apply:

I understand how to pronounce "[pʰɹɜʊ̯ˌnɐnsiˈeɪʃn̩]"

I DON'T understand how to pronounce that.

-

I was taught at least one "advanced" pronunciation method in school.

I was NOT taught the above...

-

I like pie.

Dario D.

Albedo

Alex

FinbarReilly

alleycat

Still around

Tsu Dho Nimh

IceCreamEmpress

Hapless Virago

kuwisdelu

Revolutionize the World

Orientalist

Dario D.

JoNightshade

has finally arrived