PRONUNCIATION There are some common sounds in English that many Japanese speakers have difficulty with. Those sounds are often found in pairs. The pairs we will work with here are: L vs R B vs V F vs V S vs TH S vs SH or We will begin our practice with and These sounds are often very “L” “R”. difficult for Japanese to distinguish. They are also often difficult for Japanese to pronounce. However, after this lesson you will be able to hear the difference between these two sounds and you will understand some ways to help you pronounce them. You won’t find some of this information in textbooks. I have just found that explaining the sounds this way has been very helpful: L 1. If a word begins with an you should your tongue “L” “flap” 2. When you say an it helps if you smile “L” 3. sounds do not require a lot of energy ( = weak) “L” R 1. If a word begins with an you should your tongue “R” “curve” 2. When you say an it helps if you round your lips “R” 3. Making sounds requires a lot of energy ( = strong) “R” Get with a partner and practice saying and listening to the following
PRONUNCIATION There are some common sounds in English that many Japanese speakers have difficulty with. Those sounds are often found in pairs. The pairs we will work with here are: L vs R B vs V F vs V S vs TH S vs SH or We will begin our practice with “L” and “R”. These sounds are often very difficult for Japanese to distinguish. They are also often difficult for Japanese to pronounce. However, after this lesson you will be able to hear the difference between these two sounds and you will understand some ways to help you pronounce them. You won’t find some of this information in textbooks. I have just found that explaining the sounds this way has been very helpful: L 1. If a word begins with an “L” you should “flap” your tongue 2. When you say an “L” it helps if you smile 3. “L” sounds do not require a lot of energy ( = weak) R 1. If a word begins with an “R” you should “curve” your tongue 2. When you say an “R” it helps if you round your lips 3. Making “R” sounds requires a lot of energy ( = strong) Get with a partner and practice saying and listening to the following
BG-02-Pronunciation.docx