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Post by Noelia on Jan 11, 2007 9:53:53 GMT -3
Ok, these are the sounds I still have problems with (according to this website) what do you think? : 5 - Bat / Bad 6 - Cat / Cut 12 - Awful / Offal www.fonetiks.org/shiporsheep/And even though I can make the difference between the other sounds, whenever I tell you guys a word out of any context, you never understand me, I must be doing something wrong. Suggestions? any? Please??? Noelia |
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Post by johnr on Jan 11, 2007 10:29:58 GMT -3
Ahora estoy en trabajo pero cuando vuelve a casa, voy a escuchar los sonidos y te contestaré.
Es interesante que mi amiga española siempre me hace preguntas sobre pronunciación mientras yo siempre hago preguntas sobre el preterito/imperfecto y el subjuntivo.
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Post by Robie on Jan 11, 2007 14:41:35 GMT -3
The website has a distinct british pronunciation to these sounds - not to mention british names for things. Such as "pram" for what we call "stroller" or "cochecita" in spanish.
#12 is Caught/cot and I couldn't find anything for Awful/Offal as you mentioned. I didn't even know what "offal" was without looking in a dictionary.
I know this is going to make you miserable, but I don't say a lot of these words like they are pronounced on this website.
I think that when you say a word in english out of context maybe you give up too quickly - after only one try - blaming yourself and your lack of confidence in the pronunciation of your foreign language. The reality is if you would say it one more time I would understand it. My comprehension of a word out of context and my reaction would be the same whether you were saying them or whether it were John or Greg or Sendai or Bart (and probably Thais, too, but we've never spoken a word of english to each other so I don't know for sure!)
The other part of the reality is that I understand your english better than I understand your spanish (which is why I'm learning of course) but you don't mind repeating yourself in spanish or rephrasing your sentence/question until I DO understand you. Communication is the same no matter which language, right? Eventually, if I couldn't understand it in spanish, you try to tell me in English looking for the key to my understanding. That's the important thing.
Robie
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Post by Noelia on Jan 11, 2007 15:35:36 GMT -3
Hi Robie
I understand that... I don't know how this language works within an english speaking society. Maybe if you say "caught" out of context nobody knows until you add some more words... In Spanish, except for very few words, I am used to say a word and everybody would be able to understand it.
If I say "gato" nobody thinks I'm saying "pato"
And if I say "hacer" they can either understand that or "a ser" which would be fine, because the pronunciation is the same.
But if I say "brand" like I said yesterday, you have no clue of what I am saying. (Not your fault eh? I dont want you to be trying to guess what I want to say!) I just need to know what makes it work for others that I am not doing.
Yes John, different languages, different nightmares. English grammar is complicated, but phrasal verbs are a piece of cake compared to pronunciation.
Noelia
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Post by sendai on Jan 11, 2007 17:20:20 GMT -3
5 - Bat / Bad 6 - Cat / Cut 12 - Awful / Offal awful/offal - I pronounce them identically. Offal is very unusual word, though. For me, "cut" is a shorter vowel than "cat". Also, "cut" is farther back in the mouth (I think) and the tongue is a little lower. For me, "bad" is slightly more extended (take longer to pronounce) that "bat". Americans tend not to "release" the T (and sometimes the D) at the end of words. We also tend to add a "glottal stop" to these sounds. This is kind of hard to imitate. When I speak fast, they are so close that they are almost identical. If I said, "what a bat thing to do" which speaking fast, I bet almost anyone would hear "bad thing" instead. Of course, speaking slowly the difference is clear: bat - t unreleased, glottal stop bad - d released, no glottal stop, d voiced (Not sure all this technical mumbo-jumbo is helping jeje.) |
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Post by johnr on Jan 11, 2007 17:59:16 GMT -3
No voy a hacer comentarios sobre este tema porque mi acento y pronunciación son totalmente diferente a ellos de los EEUU.
Pero puedo entender completamente y vica versa todo lo que una persona de allí dice.
Pero no me imagino que (Noelia) quiera hablar con un acento inglés.
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Post by Noelia on Jan 11, 2007 20:03:32 GMT -3
Si, en realidad no me importa mucho con que acento lo digo, mientras se entienda..... Prefiero que digan "ah, sonó a inglés británico" y no " what?? can you repeat and type, please?" haha.. La diferencia entre Bad/Bat es la T y la D?  Yo pensé que era la vocal, por eso no entendía nada..... los sonidos de T y D son obvios, al menos en español... OK entonces tengo que hacer una lista nueva y definitiva de los sonidos y averiguar quien los dice diferente y quien no. Gracias a todos Noelia |
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Yo pensé que era la vocal, por eso no entendía nada..... los sonidos de T y D son obvios, al menos en español...