Experiencing the Empty Charts—Consonants

Module Six , Experiencing the Empty Charts-Consonants , explores the Knight-Thompson Speechwork pedagogical precept that introducing the concept of each part of the IPA chart (and thereby exploring the “rules” of the chart as designated by the International Phonetic Association) is more effective for recall and practice than introducing the entirely of the IPA chart with all its symbols at one time. Hence, the charts introduced in this module are “empty,” meaning they contain no symbols. Readers first explore the non-pulmonic Empty Chart, giving them an opportunity to revisit the concept of each type of non-pulmonic consonant and introducing how the IPA organizes that information. Then readers explore the pulmonic Empty Chart. They are given a version of this chart without shaded areas which denote actions deemed impossible by the International Phonetic Association. Readers are asked to test what is possible or impossible without external information.