J. C. Catford (1917–2009)

LIKE I SAID: Specialists should never write introductory textbooks to any subject. Unless they're specialists in writing introductory textbooks to any subject. "Practical introduction" indeed.

LATER: Okay, he gets an extra .5 for this: "Note, in parenthesis, that all basic phonetic experiments must be done with firm, definite articulation and with a reasonably powerful initiation. There is little to be learned from indecisive fumbling articulation and feeble kitten-like mewings."

LATER STILL: Okay, and this thing of classing fricatives, approximants (including vowels like [i]), and resonants (open vowels) is intriguing and probably makes more sense ultimately than Ladefoged's way of doing it. I guess this is why you shouldn't review a book before you're done reading it:)

AND FINALLY: Oh, damn it. You know what this is? It's Ladefoged II, providing an alternative look at a lot of judgment calls he makes, but more importantly, expanding and breaking down a lot of his descriptions. All the stuff I've been thinking about with possible phonemic distinctions, it's basically all here. I just spend twenty minutes contorting my lips and sticking my fingers down my throat. Second only to A Course in Phonetics, this is (it turns out) a must-read.… (mehr)