Re: Why can't daddy?


Juuitchan wrote:
Larisa wrote:

In the English of where I live (in Connecticut), it is neither an h nor
a voiceless w -- it is an ordinary voiced w. The word "what" is
pronounced as if it were spelled "wut". The word "where" is pronounced
exactly like "wear".

Yes, I did notice that that particular issue was regional. I live in
Texas, for what it's worth, but also noticed this in California.

More important are:
- Vowels. Make sure that the distinction between "bad" and "bed" is
clear in your speech.
- Pronunciation of "th".
I have a Slavic parent who has trouble with both of these.

Oh, I'm not that bad - I can do both of the above. I don't have a very
strong accent - just enough that it's noticeable.

By the way, Larisa, in what situations did you learn the most English?
And I'm surprised you didn't use a dictionary. That must have been
rough.

It would have been worse with a dictionary, I think; this way, I was
forced to think in English from the start. And I did immerse myself in
English as much as I possibly could - the only situation in which I did
*not* speak English was with my parents. Everything else was in
English - including the books I read.

You know what I make of English, Larisa? To me, it seems to consist
mostly of a bunch of garbage which seems to exist mainly to trip up
non-native speakers. I think that native speakers of English probably
love their language for this reason.

Hee hee. I think any language is like that for a non-native speaker.
I'm currently struggling with Japanese (God help me), and I'm rapidly
beginning to doubt that it is possible for *anyone* to learn that
language at all. Sigh.

LM

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