Pronouncing a language is a skill. Every normal person is+ J$ @. u# q! m! R0 v. E7 c
expert in the skill of pronouncing his own language, and __1__
# R. {1 n% T/ F% O) ? few people are even moderately proficient at pronouncing- j% h3 I$ |. z! P( q" O7 f, d
foreign languages. Now there are many reasons about this, __2__0 Y: T$ r1 C- R8 D0 ?# u/ J
some obvious, some perhaps not so obvious. But I suggest( Q; Y) }, ~. e0 x( ~+ p
that the fundamental reason why people in general do not
5 O7 J( z! H; ]4 g! h$ c. f speak foreign languages very better than they do is that __3__5 Y6 L3 q }3 ~0 V
they fail to grasp the true name of the problem of learning
+ e5 _8 Y1 ~( M" D to pronounce, and consequently never set about tackling6 |: q& G& E# z+ X
it by the right way. Far too many people fail to realize __4__- j* _8 `9 L. E5 x" Z
that pronounce a foreign language is a skill, one that__5__6 B' h- \$ |+ p6 q# B
needs careful training of a special kind, and one that" N4 }7 ]& ]3 r0 H
cannot be acquired by just leaving it to take care of himself. __6__
) `+ P) D1 ]3 p. }& ?; _$ p& D I think even teachers of language, while recognizing the
% S. Q G" I& V# O. D! \! l5 j importance of a good accent, tend to neglect, in their practical
; ?/ `" r! G9 o1 w) E teaching, the branch of study concerning with speaking the__7__
* }& f5 j( {; r0 z0 `; G language. So the first point I want to make is that English. X6 ~6 K* x- l% R$ l! `" b
pronunciation must be taught; the teacher may be prepared to __8__
* h5 m) N( t! b% J devote some of the lesson time to this, and by his whole6 d! J# i$ S; k" u
attitude to the subject he should get the student to feel
u; U# b3 d6 H% X that here is a matter worth of receiving his close attention.__9__
" M+ X4 _% s# R/ E2 { So, there should be occasions where other aspects of English, __10__; E# \9 b$ E2 m, R# ^0 `7 Y% i" O/ s! |9 }
such as grammar or spelling, are allowed for the moment to |