Quote:
Originally Posted by issybird
As for "th", the real heartbreaker must come when you discover that there are two pronunciations of "th." "Thine" and "thin" have a different "th", as do "this" and "thistle," just as two examples.
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The 'th' sounds don't occur in Japanese either, and trying to learn them is becoming an exercise in hilarity for my Senior Citizen Class students... as they watch each other try to stick their tongues 'just far enough out' beyond their teeth to make the sound. Same laughter when trying to learn to make the 'wo' sound of 'wood.' That doesn't exist in Japanese either, so it comes out as 'ood.' We dangle a thin strip of paper in front of the lips so we can see if there is exhalation with the sound... to see a room full of septuagenarians blowing on little strips of paper, pursing their lips, then shouting 'ood!!!!' makes it difficult for anyone to keep a straight face!
I tell them to practice when on the crowded trains.. People will quickly move away from them and they can get a seat!
Stitchawl