Teacher Discussion Forums

Inda S. Shirley · Joined: 13 Aug 2004 Posts: 2

I'm working with an adult ESL learner from Burma.

He's having a very difficult time with words that end in oy such as toy, soy, and boy. He pronounces toy as twoy, soy as swoy, and boy as bwoy.

Does anyone have any experience with this kind of problem or any suggestions?

I would appreciate any help you can offer.

Thanks!
Inda

Lorikeet · Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2004 7:58 am Post subject:

Sounds like a variety of New York English Wink

. Maybe he's rounding his lips and getting an /u/ sound in front. Can he pronounce a word like taught? (the "open o" sound that in some dialects is the same as the /a/ sound)? Is it just the /i/ at the end that makes a problem?

Inda S. Shirley · Joined: 13 Aug 2004 Posts: 2

Thanks for the response.

The /i/ doesn't seem to be a problem. He is able to say my perfectly, but I'm not certain of his my in combination with other sounds. I won't be meeting with him until Thursday when I'll ask him to try taught.

Lorikeet · Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2004 4:01 pm Post subject:

It was the /i/ at the end of toy I was thinking about. Maybe there is a sound in his language that has the lip rounding in the front like he's doing.

revel · Joined: 06 Jan 2004 Posts: 532

Hello Inda and Lorikeet!

Here's a list of words:

boy, coy, joy, soy, toy

Have your student say:

bo bo bo, co co co, jo jo jo, so so so, to to to

Have your student practice:

oueeeee oueeee oueeee oueeee

Then have your student try:

bo bo boeeee, co co coeeee, jo jo joeeee, so so soeee, to to toeeee

Remind your student to pay attention to the sounds being made.

Using this exercise to warm up for a couple of classes should make your student aware of the difference between what he is saying and what he ought to be saying.

Let us know how it goes.

peace,
revel.

Lorikeet · Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2004 9:49 am Post subject:

But when you say jo jo joeee it should be jaw jaw jaweee and not joe joe joeeee, for example. Or saw saw sawiii for soy and not so so soiii (like sew). Is that what you meant? (Silly English spelling :p.)

revel · Joined: 06 Jan 2004 Posts: 532

Hey there!

I lived in the Santa Barbara area for several months when in the 8th grade and people made a bit of fun of my way of talking, though I was certainly not the only immigrant (from the USA) in the town. I was from Illinois and still said things like "warsh" and "strarberry". Now, when I say those two words you pointed out, lorikeet, I say "soiii" and "joiii", that is, I use an "o" without the "u" part that usually accompanies it, since I have an "i" to replace it. I see that in your part of the world, instead of an "o" you use an open "aw". In the end, what I meant by the exercises, which I am sure you already know, is to work on the isolation of the sounds and the gradual combination of groups of sounds. Which do you use, Inda, "o" or "aw"?

My "o" by the way, has been seriously altered by my daily use of Spanish over the past 17 years, probably shorter and more curt.

peace,
revel.