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Let us first distinguish the difference between phonetics and phonology. According to the research work of Frankfurt International School, Phonetic is the term for the description and classification of speech sounds, particularly how sounds are produced, transmitted and received. Whilst Phonology is the term used for the study of the speech sounds used in a particular language. We are already living in a challenging world and part of which makes it more challenging to understand each other through communication. Looking at a big picture though the English language is a universal language. There are many factors we need to consider in learning the language and 2 of which are Phonetic and phonology. A person who has a regular brain function and speech development might not have any problem in learning a word/words. There’s also what we called gifted in who could speak not only one language but also more. There are also cases that a person may have a regular brain function but with a physiological condition in developing his speech. As an experienced teacher, we have encountered these individuals in the classroom. So we need to provide various techniques to teach the unit sound like the alphabet sound. The sound of the English alphabet is the foundation in reading. Reading is one way to acquire knowledge and understanding. We often practised our children in sounding out the letters through songs, poems, stories, matching with picture or object, using magnetic letters, movable alphabet, until the child has mastered the sounds. We also need to take into consideration the age and learning style of the student. The next goal is for the child or student to be able to blend those sounds in producing words or deciphering those sounds in a word. Eventually, an individual will start to do independent reading or explore his new learnt skill. Students will start learning the use of words in a context. Phonology is more complex than phonetic to learn and understand. Alone itself has a wide range to cover in learning English. There are consonants, vowels, stress, rhythm, intonation, phonotactics, and regional variation. With consonants, the sound can be from nasal, tongue or dental and with vowels; we need to learn about diphthong or diaghraph. We need to have proper stress in a word as we convey our thoughts. Phonotactics is about syllabicating or deciphering a word, e.g. Cat (CVC), front (CCVCC), and so on. The toughest is regional variation, which gives us information, as to how different countries are communicating the same word but the stress or intonations are totally different. This is also where a common problem in English spelling that has something to do with the sounds and we all encounter them. There are words with the same sound but the spelling is different which we called homophones, e.g. three, tree. Sometimes there are words that have 4 syllables but we pronounce in 3 syllables like comfortable, we say “comftable”. There are also combinations of letters and produces the same sounds like let and bread. Silent letters in a word are also troublemakers, e.g. salmon, we say "samon" and lastly there are these unusual combinations of letter like "GH" which produce the "F" sound. Overall, the English language is really a tricky language.
