Studying pronunciation is a waste of time.

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shokin
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Post by shokin »

Normally a lapsus linguae is something you say when you want to say anything else.

"I met my sex." when you mean "I met my ex."

The two words are not always paronym...

"I told lies... heu... I told what I had to say." :?

Once at a biology course, during a presentation, a girl had to explain the phenomen of the excretion. At the end she said : "Now you know the phenomen of the erection." :lol: :lol: :lol: we were all laughing, even the teacher :lol: :lol: :lol:

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Dixie
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Post by Dixie »

shokin wrote: "I met my sex." when you mean "I met my ex."
Nice example :lol:
joedev1
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You haven't convinced me!

Post by joedev1 »


Hello Everybody,

I have read three pages of posts and see that some good points have been brought up. However, most of you have missed the main point. The question is NOT "Is pronunciation a waste of time?". The question is "Is the STUDY of pronunciation waste of time?". Until you can provide some SPECIFIC evidence that studying pronunciation brings real results, you will not have succeeded in presenting a winning argument. Do you know of a specific student or class, using a specific method of studying pronunciation, who overcame a real problem with pronunciation?

Consider this argument: "Studying pronunciation is a waste of time because students fail to make real progress, regardless of the method used. Students may say a word, phrase or sentence clearly in class, but when they must speak outside of class, they revert to using unclear pronuncation. The time spent on pronunciation would be much more effectively used on learning vocabulary and grammar."

As an English teacher and learner of French, Spanish, Japanese and Chinese, I believe pronunciation CAN be learned. The question for all of you said pronuciation is important: HOW?

I'm looking forward to reading your replies!

Teacher Joe
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hello
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Post by hello »

Since you are discussing the pronouciation difficulty, I want someone to help me in solving my problem with pronounciation ... Or recommend some methods to improve my pronounciation of the words...

Although, I am very good in writing , I face many difficulties with the pronounciation...

Sometimes I cannot pronounce the word correctly which makes others doubt in the strength of my English language...

Po0o0o0o0or ME..... :cry:
Dreams
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Is it possible?

Post by joedev1 »

hello wrote:Although, I am very good in writing , I face many difficulties with the pronounciation...

Sometimes I cannot pronounce the word correctly which makes others doubt in the strength of my English language...

Po0o0o0o0or ME..... :cry:
Hello Mr. Hello! This is precisely what we should be discussing. Is it even possible to improve pronunciation by studying? If so, how? Or, on the other hand, do we have to accept the results we get "naturally"? As I said before, my teaching, as well as my experience learning French, Japanese, and Chinese, tells me it IS possible. Since this is a discussion board for students, I hope members will give their ideas on how to STUDY pronunciation. I'm sure they have some great success stories that will help you. After they have communicated their ideas, I will add my thoughts, if necessary.

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hello
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Post by hello »

Hello Mr
" Teacher Joe"

First of all, I am a Miss not Mr, it is just a nickname however I'd prefer all of you to call me Dreams ...

Second, I really want to thank you for you concern. Hopefully, coming up with some tips to help all of us who suffer from this problem...

Do you think Using Electronic Dictionaries( which pronounces the wards) would be the best solution...?

IF there are other tips please tell me...

Thanks againTeacher Joe ...

Dreams
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My ideas for learning pronunciation

Post by joedev1 »

Hello Miss Hello,

I'm surprised nobody else has offered any tips yet. So many people have written that pronunciation is important, but they seem to have no idea how to actually improve it.

From your posts it is obvious you know a lot of English. At this point in your study, you not only have the problem of learning English pronunciation, you also have the problem of breaking bad habits formed after mispronouncing English for such a long time. It will not be as easy for you now as it would have been when you first started learning English. Here are some things I can suggest:

1) Listen to all kinds of English very CAREFULLY. Today's dictionaries with voice recordings are not too bad, but single words won't help you very much. You have to listen to a variety of voices and a variety of word combinations, as well as sentences and paragraphs.

2) Repeat what you listen to over and over again. Try to imitate native English pronunciation as closely as possible. Native English speaking TV and radio announcers do this, so don't think it's too basic for your English level. In my classes, I have students pretend that they are on the radio, saying sentences just like the professionals. It's not only effective, it's also quite fun!

3) Try recording your voice while reading whole paragraphs, then compare with the native English speakers on CD or tape. Be sure to do this once today so that you can see your progress over time.

4) Try to identify your weak points - which vowels and consonants are hardest for you to pronounce? Put extra emphasis on those sounds. You may also have trouble with groups of consonants or vowel combinations. English rhythm is sometimes a problem for students, so pay attention the this, too, as you listen.

5) Since you're trying to break old habits, you are going to have to FOCUS. Practice several times a day every single day for as long as you need. I think you can see some improvement in a few weeks, though it will probably take longer to reach the level you really want.

Good luck and don't stop trying!

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Post by hello »

Thanks Teacher Joe ...

I really appreciate your concern and your tips...I'll consider them...

I'll try my best to follow your tips. You know what ? there is another problem I face other than pronounciation and especially at the university...

I hasitate a lot before speaking in English.. I feel very shy and very low self esteem ... I feel that I might make mistakes whenever I speak in English .... When I speak, I speak very quickly and finish my sentence ... So, I don't take my time in speaking or explaining my point of view...


Many times happen that I know the words and I have enough vocabulary to parcticipate during the class, but I see my mouth locked and cannot say any word...

So, I dont to feel confident over my self while talking in English..

I need your help again..

Dreams
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Pronunciation and Speaking

Post by joedev1 »

Hi Dreams,
hello wrote: there is another problem I face other than pronounciation and especially at the university...

I hasitate a lot before speaking in English.. I feel very shy and very low self esteem ... I feel that I might make mistakes whenever I speak in English .... When I speak, I speak very quickly and finish my sentence ... So, I don't take my time in speaking or explaining my point of view...
It seems you have two different problems, but in fact, they may be the same. The reason you hesitate may be because you know your pronunciation is not as good as your grammar, vocabulary or writing. Please follow the suggestions I made in my previous post and see if you don't speak more smoothly in the future. As you speak more smoothly with fewer problems, you will gain confidence little by little.

Of course, along the way, you will have to make some mistakes. Mistakes are not really a problem IF you learn from them. As Thomas Watson, the founder of IBM, said: "The key to success is to double your failure rate". Each time you make a mistake in speaking is an opportunity for you to improve. Good luck!

Teacher Joe
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Post by Shazzam »

I just thought I would add and example that my young daughter is using through a tutor.

She comes from an English speaking family; but reading english is something you need to learn. Here is the example that was given to her, and I think you might find it really useful.

My daughter was given one page from a book with a graph. In this graph you are given (for example) 200 words that you have to read out loud to someone (or even yourself) but the trick is that you have to read it out loud. You have to time yourself (so you need to set a clock for 1 minute). At the end of the minute you add up the words that you have read and how many mistakes you have made. You work out how many words a minute you can read.

You really need to graph this because each day you will improve. You will find that after one week you may have gone from (80-120 words). It is all about increasing your confidence.

Please keep in mind that it has to be the same text. The same page of a book etc. Also you have to remember that you need to read this out loud. Preferrably to someone else.

Just try this exercise for two or three weeks and see how much your confidence rises.

It works. Really! 8) 8) 8)
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Pronunciation

Post by Rasoolpuri »

I think Pronunciation skill is necessary for speaking English
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Post by Danyet »

Listening and repeating CD's after class is excellent for pronounciation. That way time in class can be spent on other things.
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Post by hello »

Hi all,

I want to thank you deeply from my heart.

Hopefully soon , I'll post a message telling you about my improvement in pronounciation...


I am going to try all your ways and follow your tips...

God bless you all, and wishing for you all the best,,,

Thanks again ..

Dreams
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CityYoung
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Post by CityYoung »

I think study speaking is enough :lol:
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Post by Quala »

Anonymous wrote:pronunciation is very important . if you don't pronunce the word correctly be sure the receiver will missunderstand you . :?:
I agree with you
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Post by Pearla »

First of all, i want to thank teacher Joe for the tips and advice taht he gave to hello and i want to thank hello for posting her problem, which is the same problem that i suffer from. so i am really thankful for both of you.

regarding to the topic, i belive that studying pronunciation is important and not wasting time at all, because it help us to understand english speakers verywell and communicate with them in a good way and help us to be undrestood from the english speakers side as well.

Thanks

Pearla
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Vega
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Post by Vega »

Pronunciation is one of the important thing in learning
language. When i studied at school, my non-native teacher used to teach us with bizarre accent, therefore
i didn't respect his subject.
I always wanted to say her : " If you going to teach us
english, then, go and learn good pronunciation first! "
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Post by klistenes »

I think that pronunciation is important but, if the people understand you , you dont need pronunciation , however , if you r going to speak about one toinc in front of people , you need good pronunciation
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Pronunciation is very important

Post by candykhkh »

Firstly, we should regconize the difference beetween "accent" and "pronunciation".
One word can be read with many accents but only one way to pronunciate.It's like Vietnamese such as "nấu cơm" and "lấu cơm". Obviously, we can understand "lấu cơm" but it's the wrong pronunciation.
Thus, pronunciation is very important and we should spend your time in improving our pronuncistion. :D
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Pronunciation is the most important in English

Post by juanalex »

Your grammar can be good as well as your vocabulary but if you don´t have good pronunciation, you won´t be understood by native speakers. Native speakers learn English in this order.....1) 1st by hearing, 2) then speaking, 3)then grammar and writing
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Post by sak »

I think studying pronunciation is very important. With ones who dont speak English as mother tongue,it is difficult to understand if words are mispronounced
It is really important and necessary
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hung
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Post by hung »

haha,I have read that "studying grammar is waste of time" from a some forum, and now I know pronunciation is bullshit. So what is important if I want to learn English?
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Re: Studying pronunciation is a waste of time.

Post by milk »

This essay will discuss if studying pronunciation is a waste of time problem .I do agree. However, we have to study pronunciation is good. Pronunciation can be learner different things. Sometimes, we can learn pronunciation in the free time. And we have to trying making someone understand you. And approve is your accent. Some people don’t learn pronunciation well because of is very difficult how learn pronunciation. Studying pronunciation after, you can learn is well. In a word, I hope everyone cans enough to learn. Therefore, studying pronunciation is very important in the world.
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Re: Studying pronunciation is a waste of time.

Post by Planta »

1) Pronunciation IS important to spoken English.
Perfect pronunciation may not be completely achievable: ok, no need to be radical about that. Although, it should still be always the common goal for speakers, so that the particular (maybe natural) distortions of each person or culture stray (less and less) from a common point, minimizing the differences.
Not caring at all about pronunciation is unacceptable. Enforcing a standard way of producing sounds is, after all, essential for the spoken communication itself, in any language!
... we should recognize the difference between "accent" and "pronunciation".
One word can be read with many accents but only one way to pronounce.
Well, I would disagree on this. Core pronunciation is deeply affected by accent. Let's just think about the pronunciation of "T" (in "city") under the American (something close to "cidy"), British ("citttty") and "poverty English" (any better names please?) ( ci'ee ) accents.

2) Pronunciation is important for RESPECT
Let's not be naive. Let's be ready for JUDGMENTAL people - they exist.
They could be among clients, bosses or people you'd like to befriend or date.
They could be native speakers, non-native but excellent speakers, or poor speakers who simply like to "throw the first stone".
Poor pronunciation may make them respect you less, pity you, patronize you, mock you, ignore you, and so on - it will hardly ever be good for you or your self-esteem. It could be out of pure evil, could be a craving to feel their English knowledge contemplated, it could be laziness on making the effort (yes, there is effort) to decrypt your bad pronunciation; it doesn't matter.
"Shame on them!" Well, what to do? Sometimes ignoring/avoiding judgmental people is simply not optional.

3) Pronunciation in class is NOT a WASTE OF TIME
Let's be honest to our BOND TO COMFORT. It exists - sad as it sounds.
New or difficult pronunciation, besides "too strange", could sound "funny" or even "ridiculous". We may then be obstructingly shy to reproduce them, or too arrogant, or simply too lazy. (I don't believe in "too untalented" as this alone can be overcome by proportional perseverance).
I don't believe in "self-imposed homework" in the long run. (Bursts of pro-activity don't count.) Some exercises seem great and effective! But the less "natural" they sound, the less likely their execution (by us alone) becomes.
What I think is "natural", regarding practice of pronunciation :
  1. Singing along with songs.
    Number one! Dang! People simply do that! It is human to enjoy music. Whenever there is enough privacy (home, shower) or enough anonymity (by whispering in a loud street), one can sing!
  2. Having conversations with native (or good) English speakers, with an open / absorbing mind.
    Number two, as it may simply not be that trivial to make - and keep - such friendships. Still, it sounds natural enough.
Now, what I think are great ideas (from this thread), but pretty unlikely to be done by self-will:
  • Repeat the good English you hear
  • Pausing and/or rewinding that TV show episode, or movie, to repeat the lines? Repeating key phrases, heard from radio or TV, on-the-fly?
    People just don't do this. This is artificial, clearly an exercise.
    Record your own voice; compare with the "right" version
  • Excellent (!), but still unnatural, and requiring multiple resources; the recorder with playback is even a bit exotic, speaking from the comfort zone (and comparing to a notebook+pencil, for example).
    Read out loud
  • Simple - just a text / word list and a mouth. Possible - even though getting enough privacy may be tricky. Nearly natural. Awgh, shame on learners, but they just wouldn't do this exercise by themselves either. >=o/
So what, discard these excellent exercises, just because they're too far from human's lame comfort zone?? NOOO!
But how to ensure they are done, on a regular basis, or done at all?
I believe only the teacher (school) / student structure has the power to enforce so.
Only if class time is "wasted" and they are given as activity, or given as really official, demanded, checked and assessed homework, will the learner really do them for their great benefit.

Last but not least...
And that's my opinion, folks.
Of course I've just been pretty pessimistic and generic, but when replying please bear in mind that exceptions are as obvious as rare - I personally know them, and acknowledge them. I'm just trying to talk about tendencies and majorities.

Pardon my lengthy post, my faulty English and...
...Cheers!
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Re: Studying pronunciation is a waste of time.

Post by halfknot »

I think pronunciation is very important for anyone who wants to be listened outside of his country. I am looking forward to improve my English pronunciation to the best I can reach.
I'm posting to improve my English. If you see any grammar/vocabulary mistake in my post, please let me know.
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Re: Studying pronunciation is a waste of time.

Post by JadeJoddle »

Pronunciation can be a difficult topic for students because it seems like another whole new area they are forced to learn when learning English. If not introduced in the right way, spending time on pronunciation can seem pointless. However, if you are planning to live in an English speaking country, then improving your pronunciation is essential in order to be understood. Many students struggle in their lives because they have a strong accent which causes them to be misunderstood. It's a frustrating life for them. So please don't fall into this situation. Practise at least a little pronunciation by finding a teacher whose method you like.
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