I can truthfully say that I have never had a pupil who, when
faced with having to pronounce a particularly difficult word, was not able
to do so after a couple of minutes at most. In every case, I was able to
help them achieve a good pronunciation, no matter how tricky the word was.
No brag, just fact. Not that I am a miracle worker. You, too, could do this,
if you approach it the right way.
In the last section, we saw how "being a parrot" is a great method
to learn to pronounce a word in a foreign language well. Nonetheless, there will be times
when this doesn't work: no matter how well the pupil listens, and no matter
how often he/she repeats the word, sometimes it still doesn't quite come out
right. These cases are rare, but they do occur. What should you do when a
pupil you are teaching, or you yourself, are faced with such a problem?
Well, if the "relax, listen, repeat" doesn't work, it's time to
approach the situation from another angle: that of careful analysis. Ask
your teacher to say the word slowly. Now ask yourself exacly what sound that
word has that you cannot pronounce. For example, the Spanish word "correos"
(post office). You most probably don't have any problem with the "co-" or
"-eos" part - it's that long rolled "rr" that is most likely the culprit. So
concentrate only on that sound (rr), and forget the other sounds in that
word for a moment. (Another variation of the "divide and conquer"
principle!)
Ask your teacher to give a description of just how the mouth
(lips, tongue, etc.) should be formed in order to pronounce the "rr"
correcly. (A good teacher will indeed be able to describe this, though he
may have to think about it himself for a minute first: after all, he has
been saying it correctly since childhood, and may not be immediately
conscious of just why this sound is so difficult for someone like
you!) Note
how far open his mouth is when he says it. A long, rolled
"rr" is extremely difficult to say if the mouth is open too far; try
bringing your teeth together a bit more and try it again. Also, the tongue
must be relaxed; if it is too tense, the sound won't come out right. Try to
adjust the position of your lips, mouth and tongue just as your teacher
does, then try a few more times. Still doesn't work?
Then go back to "being a
parrot"... Ask your teacher to repeat the word "correos" five times in
succession, slowly. While he does, sit back in your chair, relax,
breathe deeply, listen and "absorb" the sounds you hear. While listening,
don't tell yourself you can't do it, or that it is difficult. Simply
LISTEN and ABSORB what you hear, and then, after he has said it
five times, YOU say it. You might surprise yourself
by saying it perfectly this time! This method often works like a charm.
Nonetheless, if you still can't say it, go back to
observation and analysis, to be absolutely sure that you are forming the
parts of your mouth correctly. If, despite all these efforts, you still
can't say "correos" correctly.... forget it! At least for today.
You see, when we try
too hard to get something right, it can happen that our minds simply
block, at which point further effort is often futile. It is then better to
stop trying, and try again the next day, or even better, two or three days
later. Why? Because during that 2-3 day interval, even though you are not
consciously attempting to "conquer" that sound, your subconscious is indeed
working on
it. (More about this in the next section)
In well over 90% of the cases, you will be able to pronounce
a foreign word well without having to postpone your efforts to another day.
Using the two-pronged approach already described, you will be able to
successfully tackle almost any pronunciation difficulty with success. Keep
it in mnd, and try it out the next time you encounter a word you can't say
correctly:
1) Sit back, relax, listen, absorb the sound (don't think, just listen!),
then say it yourself.
2) If that doesn't work, then it's time to think: analyze how the
problematic sound is formed in the mouth (concentrating only on that
syllable of the word) by having your teacher say it. Then form your mouth
the same way, and try, try again.
3) No success yet? Return to 1) and try that again.
4) Still doesn't work? FORGET IT for two or three days, then make another
attempt. In many cases, after a few days, you will automatically be able to
say the sound that so frustratingly eluded you before.
As a matter of fact, that's exacly what happened to me with
the "rr" sound when I began to learn Spanish. Try as I might, I simply
couldn't say it. Yet a few days later, I tried again, and I could say it
almost at once! A sure sign that my subconscious was working on the problem
during the several-day interval.
As always, with patience, discipline and perseverance,
you will be able to solve the problem and achieve your goal.
Next article:
7)
Don't Settle for less than Excellence
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