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Plosives in Czech: temporal characteristics and variability in realization
Šimek, Jaroslav ; Machač, Pavel (advisor) ; Zíková, Magdalena (referee)
The aim of this diploma thesis is to closely investigate and describe selected phonetic properties of Czech oral plosives [p t ť k b d ď g] in normal speech. The re- search focuses mostly on temporal characteristics in various contexts; moreover, we deal with the possible manners of plosive articulation in Czech, including non-canonical realizations. Another important part of the present study is a comparison with earlier studies. In the domain of temporal characteristics we examine the influence of various contexts on phone duration. The contexts include: phonetic context, speaker gender, the position of the plosive in the stress unit or articulation rate. We also examine a possible connection between the duration of the plosive and its realization. In the part that deals with the manner of articulation we focus on the individual phonetic properties, for which we investigate especially the conditions and degree of their stability. Furthermore we describe the specific plosive articulations in certain pho- netic contexts and some alternative realizations of certain plosives. The speech material used is mostly spontaneous. All the speakers are non- professionals from various TV broadcasts. Keywords: plosives, duration, phone segmentation, phonetic properties, pho- netic context, gender, articulation...
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Comparison of some spectral and temporal characteristics of German fricatives [x] and [ç] and Czech fricative [x] and their reflection in perception
Sedláčková, Petra ; Skarnitzl, Radek (referee) ; Machač, Pavel (advisor)
The aim of this diploma thesis is to analyze some of the acoustic characteristics of German fricatives [x] and [ ] and Czech fricative [x]. These sounds will be described and compared partly on the basis of spectral qualities of their noise, expressed by the so-called spectral moments (see chap. 3), and partly on the basis of their temporal characteristics. We assume to find a co-articulatory influence of the preceding vowel on the spectral characteristics of a fricative. We further assume that potential differences in values of the spectral moments, which can be, to a certain extent, considered an acoustic correlation of the place of articulation, can demonstrate a slightly different place of articulation of Czech and German velar fricatives. Using a perception test, we will attempt to explore a possible relation of German "Ich-laut" in the speech of German students of Czech to spectral mean values. The spectral moment measurements along with the perception test results may be found useful in teaching German as a second language for improving one's pronunciation. In practise, it can lead to an improvement in accepting a foreign speaker as an efficient user of the language.
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Phonetics in the teaching of German as a foreign language
Holá, Klára ; Machač, Pavel (referee) ; Berglová, Eva (advisor)
This thesis explains the role of phonetics in the teaching of German as a foreign language. The beginning examines the present state - here I try to target in particular the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and its parts that have to do with phonetics. Next, I explain certain terms with which I work with in most of the thesis. The next chapter concentrates on the role that phonetics play in the teaching of foreign languages. In the practical part of this work I deal with the differences of Czech and German pronunciation. The changes I discovered by comparing both languages became the fundamentals of the phonetic analysis of twenty recordings that obtained a total of 1480 analyzed documents, from which I determined that Czech students have the hardest time pronouncing the following German sounds , , , and . The task of the next analysis was to determine how the pronunciations of these problematic sounds are processed in the following text books: Delfin, Planet and Tangram. The best text book was Tangram, then Delfin and the worst was Planet. Unfortunately, none of the text books emphasize pronunciation and exercising it to a sufficient degree.
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Temporal features of Czech fricatives
Homolková, Veronika ; Skarnitzl, Radek (referee) ; Machač, Pavel (advisor)
The thesis is focused on a description of temporal features of Czech central fricatives (f, v, s, z, š, ž, ch [x], h). The duration of fricatives in the intervocalic position is investigated according to the place of articulation and the voicing contrast. These results are contrasted to the preceding comparable researches. Also other contexts that can influence the duration of fricatives are examined (the phonological quantity of the neighbouring vowels, the position of the fricative in the stress unit, the type of speech, the gender of the speaker). The possible reciprocal influences are analysed in relation to the duration of the fricative and the articulation rate. The thesis deals also with the compensation tendencies in the field of duration of sequences "vowel + fricative" or "fricative + vowel". The basis for this research is formed by adequately extensive material of two types - read speeches, acquired advisedly for this analysis, and semi-spontaneous speeches, gained thanks to the Prague Phonetic Corpus (formerly Phonetic-Acoustic Database of Czech), created at the Phonetic Department of the Faculty of Philosophy and Arts, Charles University in Prague. The methodical basis for the thesis is formed by the doctoral thesis of PhDr. Pavel Machač, Ph.D.
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Czech Consonants and Their Realization by Vietnamese Speakers
Čepelíková, Monika ; Machač, Pavel (advisor) ; Štěpánová, Veronika (referee)
Present diploma thesis deals with perceptively noticeable deviations in realization of consonants in Czech of Vietnamese native speakers. The aim of the thesis is identification, characterization, categorization and quantification of the deviations from common Czech pronunciation according to specific ways of realization. In the theoretical part the consonant systems of both the languages and their syllabic structures are compared contrastively. The following chapter is dedicated to a short analysis of the pronunciation exercises and their didactic contribution in the most frequently used textbooks of Czech as a foreign language. Moreover, a textbook designated for Vietnamese speakers and an English textbook were analyzed for a better comparison. The research itself is based on an analysis of 16 records of Vietnamese native speakers by a method of careful listening in Praat program. The results have shown that the most frequent deviations in the speech of Vietnamese speakers were caused by interference from their mother tongue, especially because of the different consonant systems of Czech and Vietnamese and their different phonotactic rules. Keywords: Czech as a foreign language, Vietnamese, pronunciation, consonants, phonetics, didactics
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Duration of syllabic liquids in Czech
Vernerová, Tereza ; Machač, Pavel (referee) ; Palková, Zdena (advisor)
This thesis brings basic data on duration of syllabic liquids r and l in Czech. The experiment measured the duration of syllabic and non-syllabic liquid consonants occuring in 3 stress group positions and short vowels in 2 positions; the sounds were isolated from utterances of 6 native speakers of Czech. Apart from this, the experiment also measured the syllabic liquids length on the basis of complementary utterances of 5 radio speakers. The total amount of the measured sounds was 852.
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Passivation of Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys in passivation baths without Cr6+ Compounds
Macháč, Pavel ; Tulka,, Jaromír (referee) ; Molliková, Eva (advisor)
This diploma thesis deals with evaluation of efficiency of protection conversion coatings created by passivation metals and alloys in passivation baths without chromium compounds. The theoretical part is initially concerned with question of electrochemical corrosion of metals, consequently there are mentioned different methods of corrosion protection. The main section of theoretical part of this thesis deals with chromate conversion coatings, description of their protective efficiency (including their unique self-healing effect) and then with account of new chromate-free conversion coatings occurring as chromate alternatives, whose usage is constrained because of their content of hexavalent chromium, which is highly toxic, oxidizing and also carcinogenic and thereby very dangerous for human body and the environment. Experimental part of this thesis is concerned with evaluation of efficiency of particular conversion coating which is quite commonly use in some applications as chromate alternative. It is chromate-free conversion coating which is created by passivation of metals or alloys in passivation bath Pragokor BP, which contains zirconium fluorocomplexes and is without any chromium or other toxic or ecologically unhealthy compounds. The influence of sealing of the coating in preparation Pragokor Seal Al and also other surface treatments such as application of conservation wax WAXENG or cold application of zinc coating were tested too. Efficiency of mentioned surface treatments was then evaluated on aluminum and steel by laboratory accelerated and atmospheric corrosion testing.
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Thermodynamics of Solutions
Macháč, Pavel ; Münsterová, Eva (referee) ; Molliková, Eva (advisor)
This bachelor thesis deals with principles of thermodynamics of solutions. The theoretical part is initially concerned with question of solutions generally, such as for example the issue of classification of solutions, expression of solutions composition and a range of mutual solubility. The pivotal part of this document deals with solid solutions, mainly from the thermodynamic point of view. Specifically the issue of thermodynamic activity of components in these solutions is highlighted. There is a detailed description of the ways of determination of the thermodynamic activity, both experimentally and through the use of calculation. Finally there are described the possibilities of the use of the thermodynamic activity, such as for example using it to calculate the other thermodynamic quantities. The practical part of this thesis includes calculation of the thermodynamic activity of components of alloy Bi-Mg at assigned temperature, the partial molar dissolving free enthalpy of components in solution and the calculation of total dissolving free enthalpy of the solution.
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