I think that learning proper English pronunciation (英語の発音) is important for Japanese people. Not knowing how to properly pronounce words can lead to them not being understood by English speakers. One of the things that I like about my job teaching English in Japan is being able to teach them proper English pronunciation.
One of my students is a nailist and runs her own nail shop, 1066Tenmumu, right next to my English conversation (英会話) school, Smith’s School of English Tsukaguchi (スミス英会話塚口校) in Tsukaguchi (塚口), Amagasaki (尼崎市), Hyogo Prefecture (兵庫県). At her last lesson, she told me that a customer of hers had asked her how to pronounce “strawberry”. Her customer had traveled to Australia and had not been understood when she’d ordered strawberry ice-cream in English. My student therefore asked me how to pronounce “strawberry”. I spent part of her lesson teaching her how to correctly pronounce “r” which is very important in the pronunciation of “strawberry”. The “r” sound is not an easy sound to master for Japanese people. My student eventually got it right but not all the time, at times slipping back to the incorrect pronunciation of “r” that she and so many other Japanese people know. She put in a lot of effort and did a great job! Now she just has to practice so that she can, hopefully, get it right every time one day. Practice makes perfect! She can do it! (^.^) I told her that she should tell her nail salon customer to come and study pronunciation with me at Smith’s School of English Tsukaguchi. I think that it would be best for the woman. After all, teaching proper pronunciation is part of my job teaching English in Japan! (^.^)
I invite all Japanese people who seek to learn proper English pronunciation to study English with me at my English conversation school (英会話スクール) in Tsukaguchi. (^.^)
Derek
Smith’s School of English Tsukaguchi
月謝制英会話のスミス英会話塚口校 （尼崎市の英会話スクール）
Be sure to check out my English school’s web site photos, videos and school event pages at http://www.smithweb.co.jp/school/tsukaguchi.shtml !
To read this post in Japanese, please click here.
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