Korean Job Discussion Forums

[d503]

I give a weekly spelling test (list made by school) and a lot of the "words" are actually phrases, like "a slice of."

that's the preface here is my problem, when I give these spelling tests, I pronounce a so that it rhymes with say. However this confuses the hell out of the kids and I get weird looks. So I know that at times, especially in casual speech and mid sentence it gets reduced, but I tend to pronounce it a (as in abc) when speaking slowly. So this is the most common one, but it happens with words like better and water (which i say with a t sound).

SO my question is do I later my pronunciation to that which they will recognize, or keep talking as i talk. IMO this mainly depends on whether my pronunciation is fairly standard among native speakers. So please tell me.

[Sleepy in Seoul]

I usually tell the students that "a" as in "say" is the name of the letter, whereas "a" as in "bad" is the sound (usually). If they still don't understand, I show them a Korean letter and ask them what is its name. Then I ask them what the sound is. They seem to pick it up.

[OiGirl]

There used to be rules for the pronunciation of the WORD "a," but they are no longer honored and both pronunciations are accepted.

I would read your list in whatever way seems most natural for you. Your studdents need to understand them both, and if your pronunciation is less comfortable for them, then they need more exposure to it! If I were reading a word list, though, I know I'd say "ay."

[J.B. Clamence]

[Sage Monkey]

[matthewwoodford]

The reason we pronounce 'a' to rhyme with 'say' sometimes is merely to stress it, whereas normally it is never stressed: the 'uh' or schwa sound of 'a' is never stressed. The role(s) of stress in English is/are crucial but completely alien to Koreans and, as JBC said, your students ought to be confused. However, you won't do them any favours by altering your pronunciation because English is like that and they have to get used to it.

[Wisco Kid]

How about "an"

In one spelling test I gave, one word was "on". Most of the kids wrote "an" because they are used to the Korean teachers pronuncing "an" as "on" or "un". Shouldn't "an apple" rhyme with "Dan Dapple" and not "Don Wapple"?



PS. My apologies to Mr. Dan Dapple and Mr. Don Wapple for using your names as examples, if you do indeed exist.

[Zed]

I would say it's used just for emphasis in normal speech. Is there a regional difference here? I don't know. I would have only used it for emphasis.

[J.B. Clamence]

[schwa]

Re: an. Almost all the Korean english teachers I know teach their students to say un which is just wrong if theres any stress on the word. Better to teach a as in apple & let the rules for the schwa come into play naturally.

[d503]

I'd like to thank all who responded.

I'd also like to say that I am aware that the a gets reduced in speaking, in the sentence "I have a blue car." it is the schwa sound. However when giving things in a list, the a becomes stressed and therefore long. This situation is different I don't think it is childish to say a (as in say) in certain cases when you are marking a distinction, for instance if I was reading a recipe I would say the a long. like:
A cup of flour
A spoonful of sugar
A tablespoon of vanilla

While I can accept that this might be a manifestation of a non-standard dialect or colloquialism, I don't think it qualifies as childish or makes my English childish. I agree that I use it for stress and it seems that others agree with me so I shall continue to say a, in a long fashion.

thanks again for all your comments

[Sliver]

They are children. Articles are usually the last thing an English L2 learner acquires. Say it how you like and focus on more important things if you really care as it seems you do.

That said, because they are children, just say it naturally. I doubt that even as a distinct 'noun phrase' you would naturally say 'a' as in 'say'.

Unless your Canadian.

'What bra size are you B???, aey????????"