Pronunciation Primer‏

Two lips, one tongue, 32 teeth. A handy device, the mouth. But when you're trying to pronounce sounds in a new language, sometimes its functions seem all too limited.
Pronunciation difficulties often occur when sounds in the new language are different from those in your native language. Recognizing the sounds is half the battle. Can you distinguish feel from fear, thick from sick, or leave from live? English spelling can also cause pronunciation problems. For example, cough, through, enough and though look alike, but are pronounced very differently.
兩片嘴唇，一個舌頭及32顆牙齒。這就是我們的嘴，一個方便的工具。但是當你試著發
出一個新語言的語音，有時嘴巴的功能似乎太有限了。
發音的難處是當新語言的聲音有別於我們的母語時。能夠聽出不同的音，你就成功了一半。
你能區分 feel 和 fear，thick 和 sick 或是 leave 和 live 嗎？英文的拼法也可能造成發音的問題。
例如：cough，through，enough 和 though 這幾個字看起來雖然相似，但是他們的發音卻非常
不同。
A tape recorder can help you remedy

some problems. Record a paragraph
or two of a Studio Classroom reading or an English news broadcast. Listen to the tape and imitate it. Record yourself, too, and compare your pronunciation with the original. But don't feel down in the mouth when you don't sound exactly like a native speaker. If people can understand you, your pronunciation is probably not getting in the way. Aim for comprehension, not perfection.
一台錄音機可以幫助你補救一些問題。將一、兩段空中英語教室的朗讀或是英語新聞
廣播錄下來。聆聽錄音帶且去模仿它。把自己的朗讀也錄下來，並且和原先的錄音比
較。如果你說得不像以英文為母語的人那麼道地，不要灰心。如果別人聽得懂你，你
的發音也許沒有造成太大的阻礙。致力加強你的理解力，而不是追求完美。
When practicing with a tape, don't just listen and repeat randomly. Have a focus. Here are a few suggestions:
* Say any new words in isolation. When the teachers read vocabulary words, repeat them.
* Listen to and practice any sounds or sound combinations that give you trouble. Do you
stumble over "th" or "l"? What about "sk," as in ask? Choose words or phrases that contain the sound and repeat them, concentrating on the difficult sound.
* Practice phrases themselves. In phrases, the sounds of words change. Short sounds are often reduced, or spoken more softly and quickly than others. In "The cat's up a tree," only "cat" and "tree" are pronounced fully. "Ham and eggs" becomes "ham 'n' eggs."
Repeating words over and over may set your teeth on edge (and your friends')! But as you repeat, you'll gain new confidence in pronouncing words in English.
當你使用錄音帶練習時，不要只是沒有計畫地聽和重覆練習。要有重點。以下是幾點建議：
＊把生字分開來練習。當老師朗讀字彙時，你也跟著唸。
＊聆聽及練習任何讓你覺得困難的音或連音。你常會發錯 th 或 l 的音，或者ask 中的 sk 嗎？選擇含有這些音的字彙或短句，重覆練習，特別練習唸難讀的音。
＊單獨練習短句。在短句中，字彙的發音會改變。短音通常被簡化或者比較輕快地帶過。在「The cat掇 up a tree.」的短句中，只有 cat 和 tree 的音是完整地發出來。 Ham and eggs 變成 ham 勓* eggs。
不斷地重覆練習也許會讓你及你的朋友發狂！但是當你不斷練習，你將會更有信心說英文。


⊙Word Bank
half the battle (v phr) 具備致勝的要件
remedy (v) 補救; 治療
comprehension (n) 理解力
down in the mouth (adj phr) 沮喪的; 失望的
randomly (adv) 隨便地; 未加計畫地
strumble (v) 說話結巴; 說錯了
reduced (v) 簡化
in isolation (adj phr) 分開地
set one's teeth on edge (v phr) 使厭煩; 使厭惡


@The Day's Phrase

My adventures in South Korea began with an important language lesson
我學會韓文的好玩方式
我在南韓的冒險旅程從一堂重要的語言課程開始
My mom likes keeping many houseplants. She says they help clean the air.
我媽媽喜歡在家中擺一些室內盆栽。她說這有助於潔淨空氣。

Grab your sunglasses, and let’s go!
夏日時光！
拿著太陽眼鏡，我們出發吧！
You can reuse plastic detergent bottles and save money by buying a refill.
你可以藉由買填充包的清潔劑，並重複使用塑膠瓶來省錢。

My son's chores include washing and recycling all plastic and glass bottles and jars.
我兒子的家事項目包括清洗和回收所有的塑膠和玻璃瓶罐。