Abstract
It has long been believed that articulation errors are the result of faulty discrimination and that discrimination training is a pre-requisite for the correct production of the desired sound. Auditory training has been considered as the first step in the correction of defective sounds Van Riper and Irwin (1958), Van Riper (1939), Berry and Eisenson (1956), Kronval et al, (1954). However this stand is not universal. Winitz (1969) suggests that while phonemic distinction can be learned before articulatory productions, articulatory experience will affect later discrimination. He concludes that sound discrimination learning is necessary but not a sufficient condition for sound learning (Winitz 1965). Contrary to this Ladefoged (1967), Backus and Beasley (1951) and Kumudavalli (1973) have questioned the importance of discrimination training in the learning of articulation.
References
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Kumudavalli : The relationship between articulation and discrimination of Kannada Speech Sounds in terms of distinctive features (1973).
Ladefoged, P. :Three areas of experimental phonetics, Oxford University Press(1967).
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Van Riper and Irwin J.V. : Vice and Articulation, Engle Wood Cliffs, Prentice Hall Inc.
(1958).
Wepman, J.M. : Auditory discrimination test : Manual of Directions, Chicago: Language Research Associates, 1958- Quoted by Winitz (1969).