Pronouncing a language is a skill. Every normal person is
' h3 V2 V! _1 V! [% a) y expert in the skill of pronouncing his own language, and __1__
8 ?6 @+ t; {% g! _ few people are even moderately proficient at pronouncing& t2 c u( f& @
foreign languages. Now there are many reasons about this, __2__
- I; G2 Z# C6 K( ~$ \ some obvious, some perhaps not so obvious. But I suggest- V" e0 s4 D/ l$ f* L
that the fundamental reason why people in general do not
* v- P1 x+ S3 K& d5 P speak foreign languages very better than they do is that __3__
4 s4 ]& E% W& u. V& R; U they fail to grasp the true name of the problem of learning) B* j `! I, T9 {
to pronounce, and consequently never set about tackling
4 j2 y% m; v% M w1 _ it by the right way. Far too many people fail to realize __4__# F# k- C) w# ^( K9 [0 B
that pronounce a foreign language is a skill, one that__5__. L4 g. N$ b( X: l
needs careful training of a special kind, and one that
1 N4 _# ^: m1 z! `7 s3 a; ~$ S) R; Z cannot be acquired by just leaving it to take care of himself. __6__
5 O1 x, A9 S3 W: M1 ]$ G5 ^8 p I think even teachers of language, while recognizing the, F9 M! ?4 M! u; Q) K' }1 g
importance of a good accent, tend to neglect, in their practical. B# b( x" _0 E: c
teaching, the branch of study concerning with speaking the__7__+ b- V7 L2 ^0 p0 f
language. So the first point I want to make is that English, o( b* Z. }# M8 \! ]3 f5 V. `
pronunciation must be taught; the teacher may be prepared to __8__! }0 f2 c4 L5 `( \# p, |: ?
devote some of the lesson time to this, and by his whole/ r- s3 J9 S" b. _
attitude to the subject he should get the student to feel" Y8 x/ |" o ?( e0 b. ?
that here is a matter worth of receiving his close attention.__9__
9 Q9 h/ B9 Z- |+ q' C% W So, there should be occasions where other aspects of English, __10__
' j4 J' w: N; H6 ] such as grammar or spelling, are allowed for the moment to |