Phonetics, the science which deals with the study of speech sounds, is a separate discipline by itself. Though traditionally we study phonetics as a part of linguistics, modern linguists are of the view that phonetics and semantics belong to the peripheral structure and not to the internal structure of language. In addition to the study of phonetics as a subject matter, it is interesting to note that it has various applications in different fields of knowledge and such aspects relating to application also need to be understood.
Since language is uttered through sequences of phones, the knowledge of phonetics is imperative in linguistics. In transcribing languages and for identifying phonemes, allophones and supra segmental features, the application of phonetics is highly essential. It is also useful while formulating rules for morphophonemic changes and for identifying phonologically conditioned allomorphs. In historical linguistics, phonetic feasibility, which implies the knowledge of phonetics, is an important criterion for tracing the process of sound change. In addition, a thorough knowledge of phonetics is a basic requirement in dialectology. Similarly, in sociolinguistics, the occurrences of different phones i.e., varying phonetic manifestations of words, do play an important role in demarcating social stratification. The oral transmission of the Vedas with their original accents and intonation from generation to generation was due to pronunciation practice, which of course, is part and parcel of phonetics. In language teaching and language learning, especially in the case of other tongues, the knowledge of how the sounds of that language are articulated will be of immense help. This knowledge is essential in ear training as well as in phonetic drill. In language teaching, the importance of phonetics is not limited to the spoken variety only but it also has a significant role to play even in the written form of the language. In error analysis, an important tool in the field of language teaching, one can see that many of the errors a student commits in writing have a direct bearing on his pronunciation. Very often, there exists a tendency for students to write orthographic characters/letters in accordance with the pronunciation, which in many instances, may be wrong as per the writing system of that language. For correcting such orthographic errors and also for concentrating on those areas to which more attention has to be paid, both the teacher and the student need to have an understanding on the phonetic system of that language. The auditory perceptions of the sounds of the other tongue are highly influenced by the phonetic qualities of similar sounds existing in the mother tongue of the hearer. In language teaching and in contrastive linguistics, such perceptional variations of phones due to mother tongue interference is an area of study which requires in-depth knowledge of phonetics.
Moreover, in this modern era, communication engineers utilize phonetics in the inventions of various communication systems. For instance, in machine-aided oral translation from one language to another language, both direct and telephonic, acoustic phonetics plays an important role. Similarly, in the research for automatic transference of printed text to its audio version or vice versa, the application of phonetics is quite essential.
Further, we need to underscore the clinical use of phonetics, such as identifying different types of speech defects and their corrective measures, a matter of utmost importance. Even in fields like music, drama, cinema, mimicry, oratory etc., though not overt, the principles of phonetics are utilized to achieve maximum efficiency in performance. In prosody, the types of syllables including their inherent sonority, vowel duration, the nature of the nset and coda such as voiceless or voiced aspirated or unaspirated etc., are very important. So is the case with the rhythm of verses. Thus, in poetics too, phonetics has its applications.
All the above facts point to the fact that in this era of globalization and technical advancement, the study of phonetics should get due recognition and importance which it really deserves. Through the present work, Phonetics and its Application to Different Areas, Dr. B.B. Rajapurohit has done a great service not only to students but also to teachers. Unlike most other textbooks in phonetics, this book covers all the three branches of phonetics i.e., Articulatory, Auditory and Acoustic. It also gives essential information on the great phoneticians of yester years and the history and development of the International Phonetic Association and its phonetic chart. The author's way of presentation is matter of fact, precise and in simple language. There was a need for a textbook of this sort dealing with all the three branches of phonetics and now that requirement is amply fulfilled by Dr. Rajapurohit and for that I express my sincere thanks to him. This book is presented to the academic community with the hope that it will be welcomed with gusto by both students and teachers.
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