The cafeteria had two lines: one for the "lunch special"; the other for sandwiches. Everybody stood in the "lunch special" line. Nobody stood in the sandwich line.
When they got to the front, some would say, "May I have a sandwich, please?" They didn't know that there was a sandwich line. The sandwich lady would always tell them. She would say, "I can make sanduweechee (샌드위치)." Why didn't they stand in her line? Because nobody understood what she was saying.
Her grammar was good enough, and her sandwiches were delicious, but people waited in the wrong line because of her pronunciation.
If you want to improve your English speaking, start with pronunciation. Start with vowels. English has some vowels that Korean doesn't have. Here are a few guides to help you with them:
1. Short "a". Koreans generally pronounce words like "sand" and "send" the same. In English, however, they are different sounds. To pronounce the short "a" sound correctly, use the diagram below. Slide back and forth slowly between "Den" and "Dawn." The correct pronunciation for "Dan" is in the middle. You'll probably need to drop your jaw and tongue down a little bit to get it just right.
2. Short "i". There is a difference in English between "fit" and "feet," but Koreans use the same vowel ("이") for both words. Using the diagram below, you can find the correct pronunciation between "이" and "에." It is right in the middle.
3. Short "oo". Most Koreans do not pronounce "book," "look," and "hook" correctly. To find the correct pronunciation, find the spot between "흙" and "훅" as in the following diagram.
This might seem small, but it is critical. You have to change it if you want people to understand you. For example, there is a big difference between "live here" and "leave here." Don't settle for the pronunciations you learned in school. Practice these pronunciations correctly every day for a month. You'll be glad you did.
No comments:
Post a Comment