Korean Job Discussion Forums

[chaz47]

I've been getting a number of students lately that have problems with their /s/ pronunciations. The most common problem is a lisping sort of sound. Followed by a "s-uh-tereo" sort of problem, it seems like this an over pronunciation. Lastly is the "she" any time /s/ followed by an /i/.

I feel more like a speech pathologist/therapist lately than ESLer.

Anybody else been in this boat and have advice to spare?

[exteacher]

If you can explain to them that /s/ is whispered (it's a voiceless consonant) even though the rest of the word is spoken, then it might work. I tried with my students, especially for /s/ on the end of a word, and it worked pretty well. Getting them to hiss like a snake and then say 'snake' or whatever also works.

[Qinella]

Man... I'm starting to think it's nearly impossible for these kids to break out of their Korean language mindsets. They are just kids, and they probably consider their native language to be normal and everything else to be wrong or strange or impossible. So, that's why they add the "uh" after certain consonants and can't say "see" or "sit" properly.

With the really young students, I find it's a bit easier. They still haven't solidified their concepts of normality and possibility, and seem to take to English pronunciation much better. But with my 4rd graders on up, they have drilled certain pronunciation tactics over and over again, with detailed, explicit instructions. They get it when we practice, but one minute later when I ask them to read a word, it's right back to the Korean pronunciation.

I have never taught ESL in another country, so I have nothing to compare it to. It seems the best we can do is simply teach proper tactics (actual instruction, not simply demonstration) and then hope it sinks in maybe 10 years later.

[Ya-ta Boy]

It's a BIG problem.

One approach is to check a grammar book and get the phonetic symbols (and example words) for the sound that comes right before the final 's'. And then work, work, work on it.

A lot of my students swear they are saying the final 's', but I don't hear it. It must be because Koreans 'hold' the final consonant sound (I don't know how else to express that).

Just keep plugging away, but don't expect too much.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

A big laminated cut-away drawing of a human mouth really helps for showing them exactly what to do with their tongues with letters like [s] and [s] combinations.

[Privateer]