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TK4Lakers
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Posts: 159
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 Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 9:06 am Post subject: Hard to pronounce words |
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I assume most of the people here are native speakers of the English language, but I was wondering if anyone had any words that were hard to pronounce.
Mine has to be the word "harder." When I see it coming in the textbook, I brace myself and just try to say it quickly. I'm not even sure if the students recognize that I might be pronouncing it in a funny way.
What about you? |
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littleturtle
Joined: 31 Oct 2006
Posts: 24
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| Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 12:23 pm Post subject: |
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"Schedule"
The JTEs and the class pronounce a hard K, ie 'skedule', but I cant seem to bring myself to do that. In my dialect, its 'shhedule'. This confuses JTEs and students.. |
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ElleB
Joined: 07 Feb 2005
Posts: 20
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| Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 4:02 pm Post subject: |
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"Sects" and "adjective."
Let's talk about Buddhist sects in English class! |
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JimDunlop2
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Posts: 2286
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 11:10 pm Post subject: |
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| littleturtle wrote: |
"Schedule"
The JTEs and the class pronounce a hard K, ie 'skedule', but I cant seem to bring myself to do that. In my dialect, its 'shhedule'. This confuses JTEs and students.. |
The English variety of choice (predominantly) in Japan is American English. That's not to disparage other flavors, like British English but for all intent and purpose, unlike other Asian countries who follow the British model, Japan is interested mainly in learning American English - which usually means all the pronunciations, idioms, expressions and definitions that go with it.
Obviously, this is what your students and JTEs have been taught. Whenever I encounter such discrepancies, I usually allow the students to use whichever they fell most comfortable with, but I tell them which is which, and if they are using an obscure British-ism for instance, I tell them that they might be understood by an American, but they may come across sounding quite strange.
Sometimes I've been forced to adapt my English to something that my students can understand... For example, when I taught English in the Czech Republic, not surprisingly, they learned only British English... Which meant that each time my students asked me whether I "lived in a house or a flat" I somehow had to bring myself to say "flat" rather than go through the whole rigmarole of saying "apartment" and then explaining what the heck that meant.
Anyway, where I'm from (Alberta, Canada) schedule is also pronounced with a hard 'k' as well (like skedule). |
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TokyoLiz
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1548
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 1:09 am Post subject: My English |
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The word probably is the most problematic pronunciation for me. I usually pronounce it as a two syllable word.
I can't distinguish between the two back vowels in the words caught and cot, which is mystifying to some JTEs, as it is clearly indicated in the dictionary that they are two distinct sounds. My variety of English doesn't have that distinction.
My Scottish grandfather used to get all irritated by us second generation Canadian kids who pronounce mirror as a one syllable word.
Perhaps some of you folks also have such reduced pronunciation of particular words... |
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Perpetual Traveller
Joined: 29 Aug 2005
Posts: 651
Location: In the Kak, Japan
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| Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 1:47 am Post subject: |
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'Sentences'
It just never wants to come out clearly, unless I really slow it down. And of course it is a word that comes up time and again in our field! 
PT |
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Dipso
Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Posts: 194
Location: England
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| Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 3:04 am Post subject: |
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| I can never say "lure" for some reason. Thankfully it's not a word I need to use too often. |
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JimDunlop2
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Posts: 2286
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 4:25 am Post subject: |
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Probably the harder way to lure new students into our cots is to schedule them to look in a mirror as they are caught on camera trying to compose sentences using adjectives to describe religious sects.
Do I win the thread? |
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littleturtle
Joined: 31 Oct 2006
Posts: 24
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| Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 4:54 am Post subject: |
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| Yes, you do. |
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TokyoLiz
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1548
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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Reetski
Joined: 24 Oct 2006
Posts: 6
Location: Auckland
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| Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 4:07 am Post subject: |
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try getting your students to say this:
Irish wrist-watch, Swiss wrist-watch.
A challenge for most native English speakers too... |
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bornslippy1981
Joined: 02 Aug 2004
Posts: 271
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| Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 1:58 pm Post subject: |
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I can't say "butter." It sounds like "butt tir." "Cotton" sounds like "cott ton."
It must by the double T that throws me off. Not sure why? |
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