Sinopec 17/04 Lesson 2 Pronunciation

Right: well I finally have got your company name right after our last class - so hopefully if anyone didn't find their first week's class notes they will find them from now on.

Those who were looking for the class notes for the second week probably got a little confused because it wasn't there.

I had said that I would combine your notes with those of another class with whom I also did pronunciation...but I don't think that too many people actually understood that. So I have now cut and pasted and provided you with this, written under your Company name which, I hope, will mean everyone can find it.

I have, however, posted those little sayings, which we call in English "tongue Twisters" on a blog all to themselves. That's because I teach them to every single class I give - whether they are English Majors or beginners. So if you want to find them, look to the left of this article where all the separate entries are listed, and find one called, simply, "Tongue Twisters". For anyone who find the ones I gave in class too easy, there are a couple of extra one there that we did not do in your class!


Guys, because this is an oral English class the focus of this course is to get you speaking English with confidence. That's why I don't correct mistakes like he/she when translating "ta", and other little slips of the tongue. I am convinced that the best way to learn English is just to speak it: if you keep getting corrected each time you speak its very easy to lose confidence. I am just happy if you can communicate your ideas to us: that is, after all, the whole purpose of language.

However, involving the whole class, without singling out[choosing;picking on] one particular person can also help, I think, and that's where tongue twisters are very handy[useful] as they concern themselves with the actual building block of language: the way certain sounds are said.

However, I can only give you these things to practice by yourselves: I can't do that for you.

As you know, I am a terrible drawer: I wish I could draw those neat little diagrams that appear in Speech books and which show the exact placing of the tongue in your mouth so its easily understood.

The best I can do is to try to describe how to make the sound and try a sort of picture on the board which, even I have to admit, is probably not very helpful.

However:the sound "th" which is the trickiest for many people as it is only made in a few languages, is one that's easy for you do practise by yourselves. As I suggested in class: say this in front of a mirror. The rounded tip [end] of your tongue should be visible[ able to be seen] in between your upper and lower teeth.

As you get more proficient[expert] in making this sound you will realise it can be made just by placing the tip of the tongue underneath your top teeth.

But the important thing to understand is that this is not a voiced sound. It is only made by blowing out air. Not by our vocal chords. So practice with a candle or lighter if you like. If you can blow out the flame by pushing air out you are making the "th" sound in the right way.

The way to make the "th" sound in words like "them" "they" "this" "that", is to put your tongue into the exact position for soft "th" ("Cathy" "thinks" etc) but this time use your vocal chords as if you are making the "err" sound. You don't have to blow air out.

The correct sound is made when your tongue, underneath your top teeth, actually cuts off the sound!

Another sound which is difficult for many is the "r" sound. Once again, I wish I could draw! To make this sound, your tongue is drawn back a little so that the tip of your tongue is in the middle of your mouth.

It should very slightly curve towards BUT DOESN"T TOUCH the roof of your mouth. Instead, the sides of your tongue should be touching your top back teeth.

If you isolate the sound made it sounds very like the sound made in the Chinese word for "play". It is a sound very familiar to those from the North of China.

The sound usually substituted for the correct "r" sound is "l". So people say "lolly" instead of "lorry". But both sounds are made in different ways.

The "l" sound is made by opening your mouth a little more than for "r". This time the tip of your tongue should rest at the point where the roof or your mouth ends and your teeth begin. So actually the top side of your tongue is touching the roof of your mouth and the underside of your tongue is touching your teeth.

For this reason the quick change over in "Red lorry, yellow lorry" between the two sounds is ideal practice. And not to worry - we did not come up with these tongue twisters just for second language speakers, but also for native English speakers. We have to practise them ourselves too, because many of us do make mistakes even though its our own native language!

I hope that this is not to difficult to understand, but I am hoping you will remember how we said these sounds in class. Please do try to keep on practising...its the only way to improve.

Now...you might remember that I had problems with my UHB device at first? Well for some reason my computer here is not reading it at all. So I have not yet posted Lesson 3 as I am hoping someone will come and work out what's wrong with my USB.