Tongue Twisters is the English name given to those little lines that repeat different sounds. I have heard a few Chinese ones and especially like the long one which is actually just one word when it is spoken aloud.
We also have a lot and they are used by actors, public speakers people with speech impediments [a physical or psychological reason which makes it hard to say certain sounds. The most common speech impediment with native English speakers affect those people who cannot say the "s" sound and use the "th" sound instead - so "sighs" sounds like "thighs": the exact opposite of a lot of Chinese students who find "th" difficult and say "s" instead!)
I gave some classes some tongue twisters in class but even those who didn't get them in class must practise these, as I will ask random people in class next week to say them. Fast!
First: the one which is useful for people who get "l" and "r" sounds mixed up:
Red lorry, yellow lorry.
This also helps with the vowel sounds "e" and "o". Looks easy, huh. Btw, a lorry is a truck.
Still dealing with that tricky "r" sound is:
Around the rugged rocks the ragged rascal ran.
Rugged means strong and beaten by wild weather. Ragged refers to clothes which are torn or have holes in them.
The one which most people have difficulty with practises the "th" sounds:
Cathy thinks thugs are thick.
Thugs are violent and not very clever criminals. Thick is an informal word for stupid.
Some people find this one extremely difficult because it juxtaposes [alternates] the "s"and "th" sounds"
The sick sixth Sheik's sixth sheep is sick.
Now, I hope that some of you have already discovered that this one is actually much easier if memorised instead of read. That's because it plays with sound and words in English that are spelled the same but pronounced differently. It is also an excellent one for practising vowels:
Swan swam over the pond
Swim, swan, swim.
Swan swam back again
Well swum swan.
Anyone realised yet that this one also practices English stress. If you say it with the correct stress or intonation, its not actually difficult.
O.K. Now I'll know who does their homework and who doesn't. Remember I said many times that, even if I don't give you actual homework, your homework is always to read over the articles on this blog? If you don't have a specific one for your class this week (or any week) read one or more of the others.
So: homework shirkers [people who ignore their duties or responsibilities] beware!! Here are two more I shall ask next week.
She sells sea-shells by the sea shore.
And finally, the most famous of all:
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled pepper Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?
"P" is what is called a plosive consonant. This is merely an exercise to ensure one is speaking clearly, which involves correctly enunciating [saying; pronouncing] plosives.
O.k. hope to hear everyone picking pecks (an old unit of measurement - no longer used) of pickled peppers and selling sea-shells next week. Seeya ..and chill, people, chill.
We also have a lot and they are used by actors, public speakers people with speech impediments [a physical or psychological reason which makes it hard to say certain sounds. The most common speech impediment with native English speakers affect those people who cannot say the "s" sound and use the "th" sound instead - so "sighs" sounds like "thighs": the exact opposite of a lot of Chinese students who find "th" difficult and say "s" instead!)
I gave some classes some tongue twisters in class but even those who didn't get them in class must practise these, as I will ask random people in class next week to say them. Fast!
First: the one which is useful for people who get "l" and "r" sounds mixed up:
Red lorry, yellow lorry.
This also helps with the vowel sounds "e" and "o". Looks easy, huh. Btw, a lorry is a truck.
Still dealing with that tricky "r" sound is:
Around the rugged rocks the ragged rascal ran.
Rugged means strong and beaten by wild weather. Ragged refers to clothes which are torn or have holes in them.
The one which most people have difficulty with practises the "th" sounds:
Cathy thinks thugs are thick.
Thugs are violent and not very clever criminals. Thick is an informal word for stupid.
Some people find this one extremely difficult because it juxtaposes [alternates] the "s"and "th" sounds"
The sick sixth Sheik's sixth sheep is sick.
Now, I hope that some of you have already discovered that this one is actually much easier if memorised instead of read. That's because it plays with sound and words in English that are spelled the same but pronounced differently. It is also an excellent one for practising vowels:
Swan swam over the pond
Swim, swan, swim.
Swan swam back again
Well swum swan.
Anyone realised yet that this one also practices English stress. If you say it with the correct stress or intonation, its not actually difficult.
O.K. Now I'll know who does their homework and who doesn't. Remember I said many times that, even if I don't give you actual homework, your homework is always to read over the articles on this blog? If you don't have a specific one for your class this week (or any week) read one or more of the others.
So: homework shirkers [people who ignore their duties or responsibilities] beware!! Here are two more I shall ask next week.
She sells sea-shells by the sea shore.
And finally, the most famous of all:
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled pepper Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?
"P" is what is called a plosive consonant. This is merely an exercise to ensure one is speaking clearly, which involves correctly enunciating [saying; pronouncing] plosives.
O.k. hope to hear everyone picking pecks (an old unit of measurement - no longer used) of pickled peppers and selling sea-shells next week. Seeya ..and chill, people, chill.
Yeah，I get the sofa!!(It is a Internet language in Chinese BBS which means that if I post the first comment,I get the sofa.I don't konw whether it is used in western country.)
ReplyDeleteI'm John.I find it so diffiuct to read the Tongue Twisters in correct ponunciation.There is a old saying that practise makes perfect.Maybe I need time.:）
John, -
ReplyDeleteNuh-uh, we don't have that saying...but I like it. The one we use isn't very polite!
And yeah, the thing with tongue twisters is that they do take a lot of practice. I used to teach Elocution[the art of correct pronunciation] and The Art of Speech and yet I still find my tongue getting twisted sometimes in Peter Piper especially. Sometimes it helps if you get together with a partner and test each other. The good thing about it though, is you get to laugh a lot while doing it.
We have been used to pronouncing words in our own ways and it is maybe not very correct.But it's hard to change.I am also wondering how to read better.
ReplyDeleteSophie
Sophie,
ReplyDeleteLike anything, the only way to become good at something is to practice, practice, practice. If you want to improve your reading skills then read. Lots.
Find a subject that really interests you - anything from fashion to Geography - and then, if you can't find books in the library, get onto English Google and read as much as you can.
And yes, I know that change is difficult and there is nothing wrong with having a Chinese accent when you speak English: French, German, Swedish etc. people all have accents that immediately identify their nationalities for us. But saying something incorrectly makes communication very very difficult....as my Chinese teacher is always telling me.
I know the words in Chinese if I see them written but, often when I say them no-one can understand me at all. Also I don't recognise them when a Chinese person says them correctly!
Yeah,I should say today we had another special class.When we practised the words you gave us,we all found that it's not an easy job.I'm sure we need quite a lot of practise,but I wonder whether British English and American English prounce in the same way on the words THINK THUGS
ReplyDeleteYes. American and British English pronounce the short vowels (as in cat, met, pit, pot put) the same way.
ReplyDeleteIt is on the long vowels that you will find a difference: also, of course, they substitute short vowels for long ones: eg British English say Dahnce, Grahss, where American English says Dance, grass with a short vowel.
Think and thug are said the same but there are regional variations in both America and England/Europe with the short vowel sound 'i'.
It all sounds kinda complicated, doesn't it? But not half so complicated as learning the difference between Ningbonese and Mandarin!
The class today is a little different from those we had before, and I recieve the information that the my pronounce can be developed a lot after some practising. So, I strongly want to know that how much time should I spend on reading can improve my pronounce?
ReplyDeleteLois
Unless you get hold of some books on Linguistics, reading is not going to help your pronunciation at all. The only thing that helps is practice at speaking.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately,this is kind of hard to do alone because you don't know if you are making mistakes or not.
Try to remember how the tongue-twisters were pronounced...and also your vowels... and practise for maybe 15 minutes a day and you will find this helps.
We'll to a little more pronunciation work next week, if you like.