Job Discussion Forums

[MikeySaid]

... how do you make mexicans make these sounds?

PerhAps it wouldn't be so hard if I were British. But I'm not, and our short vowels just... don't make sense to them. Any tips?

[raulyn]

I explain the long-vowel sounds 'sound' like the letter in the alphabet. If they pay attention to the formation of these sounds, they're generally made with the throat a LOT of movement of the mouth. (Exaggerate the letters on your own and you'll understand... )
I then explain that the short-vowel sounds are made more from the larynx and almost NO movement of the mouth. Like Tarzan or Los picapiedra. They are very basic and almost primal sounds. When I make these sounds all together and beat my chest they laugh and try it out for themselves.

--maybe this explanation doesn't convey well in text, but it does seem to work visually. I have a very strong following/reputation for being the teacher to go to if you want to learn pronunciation at my school.

I'm more visual when I teach. I'll draw the mouth or simulate with my hand or fingers. When I can't make someone understand how to use their tongue or throat, I'll take their open hand and place it on my throat, so they can feel the vibration.

[wildchild]

you asked about short vowels.

what we call short vowels aren't necessarily short and to demonstrate this, I drag out the short vowel for seconds, for example, 'hiiiit'. Thus the student will stop listening for the length, but for the quality of the vowel.

Minimal Pair Repetition
To start, give them minimal pairs and do repetition drills. over time, they become better at hearing the difference.

hit v. heed
shit v. sheet
bitch v. beach

run v. rune
sun v. soon
etc.

Make the student guess which one you said, either the first one or the second, and give them feedback (correct, incorrect) and go down a list of minimal pairs. Once you've finished or get tired of doing it, have the student do it, and you have to guess which word they said. They don't have to "get it" in one day; these things come over time and let the student know that; have fun with it, cause if not, the student will get frustrated.

and it's a good way to have fun in class, saying 'shit' and 'bitch' and all!

Tongue Twisters
and in the end, I give them some tongue twisters to read out loud which you can model first, of course.

"The big bitch went to the beach and pitched a tent and ate a peach."

some times it helps to underline the vowels.

hope this helps!

[TheLongWayHome]

I like the minimal pairs idea too along with a visual explanation of how they tend to fall in between the long and the short sound and that you probably wouldn't want to be halfway between a sh�t and a sheet... make it longer or make it shorter but don't dangle in the middle.

[hlamb]

I've used phonetics to teach this. By focusing on how to make each individual vowel sound and then using them later in words, they tend to understand the difference quite well, after a time. Good pronunciation and listening skills are not learned easily or quickly, but with persistance and repetition, they get it. Besides, you can make jokes or do role plays where sheet and shit are used wrong, to illustrate how important it is.

I had a student who was preparing for graduation presentation, say he was going to give everyone a piece of shit, rather than a sheet of paper. He was mortified and practiced a lot so he wouldn't make the same mistake in his real presentation.

[MikeySaid]

I definitely like to use tongue twisters and mostly because of the reactions I get from students when they see what we are working on. It's like they love them and loathe them at the same time.

I have a few students who right now are not allowed to leave class without pronouncing:

Cheap
Chip
Sheep
Ship

They all get it so quickly when I explain to them that you say chip by talking like a normal person, and ship by talking like one of those weirdos from Chihuahua. The vowels though... those take more time.