My OperaPronouncing you own language properly and teaching others to do so.
Friday, February 8, 2008 2:21:11 AM
Everyone can pronounce words in their own language properly right? You can say "Hill" without it coming out as "Heel", can't you? You can say "river" without it coming out as "Riber." But how do you teach others the correct pronunciation? Well, it´s not that easy. If you have a student that continues to say "riber", usually just make him repeat after you will not do the trick. So now what? Well, for one, you would need to pay close attention to you own pronunciation. What exactly is happening when you say "river" In the case of river (and other "v" words, when you annunciate clearly, the V sound actually vibrates. In contrast, the "b" sounds cuts off quickly and leaves the mouth almost in a pop.
Strange as it may sound, really have to know what your lips, tongue and mouth and throat are doing when you speak your native language. But someimes it´s not possible show the students how to pronounce the sound, ie it´s not really visible on the lips and face. This is where you might say the word naturally in a sentence or context. Annunciate and isolate the problem sound, letting the student be aware of changes in pitch, etc. After that going back to naturally using the word.
Strange as it may sound, really have to know what your lips, tongue and mouth and throat are doing when you speak your native language. But someimes it´s not possible show the students how to pronounce the sound, ie it´s not really visible on the lips and face. This is where you might say the word naturally in a sentence or context. Annunciate and isolate the problem sound, letting the student be aware of changes in pitch, etc. After that going back to naturally using the word.
