Pronouncing a language is a skill. Every normal person is9 g; p2 U. j; F' f) m, J/ q: r
expert in the skill of pronouncing his own language, and __1__# ~* A5 G8 ~$ q
few people are even moderately proficient at pronouncing
8 L/ \! |9 e" \) h4 ~ foreign languages. Now there are many reasons about this, __2__" V& P0 U1 f) x/ d+ R; i
some obvious, some perhaps not so obvious. But I suggest% r7 N7 j4 o3 k
that the fundamental reason why people in general do not7 o8 W! [* M% a4 I) V C; T& J
speak foreign languages very better than they do is that __3__
" P( g# i9 X. d/ W& O; I, F* v they fail to grasp the true name of the problem of learning
7 [9 i1 X# p& r; B# y* j" Q to pronounce, and consequently never set about tackling& z0 N; T6 d! {+ F9 D
it by the right way. Far too many people fail to realize __4__1 n5 i2 Q0 n5 I
that pronounce a foreign language is a skill, one that__5__
1 ~; j% L* I+ K8 c- X3 P needs careful training of a special kind, and one that/ v4 K% H4 `& W" ?; I; W
cannot be acquired by just leaving it to take care of himself. __6__
& S, u: ^, e! w) ` I think even teachers of language, while recognizing the
7 D. ~1 x. u, p1 H( [- p x importance of a good accent, tend to neglect, in their practical# Z! G7 E6 l) e( r
teaching, the branch of study concerning with speaking the__7__$ i) p5 \+ L$ i& l
language. So the first point I want to make is that English/ {+ F' B9 x- T$ d5 c/ [: h
pronunciation must be taught; the teacher may be prepared to __8__% ]4 r j( @. b1 y+ C4 }( Q) r
devote some of the lesson time to this, and by his whole t$ f7 j. v- ]2 U
attitude to the subject he should get the student to feel% W3 u, r2 ]0 [
that here is a matter worth of receiving his close attention.__9__
- f; X! f3 n6 V7 M# e4 k" y! k. T So, there should be occasions where other aspects of English, __10__9 J0 H1 K" V) q! [6 y% d
such as grammar or spelling, are allowed for the moment to |