Do you have trouble saying a rolled r in Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, Russian, Serbian or Scandinavian? It's frustrating, isn't it!
I was learning on Duolingo and very pleased with my progress and clicking on the button to hear the pronunciation when it occurred to me that I ought to not just listen but see the word. We had reached the Italian for butter, Il burro, a word with a double r. Oops. I can't roll my rs.
For years I had asked people and nobody had been able to teach me. It must be possible, somewhere on the internet. Millions of people can do it. Why not me?
I might never be able to sing an opera but at least I should be able to roll my r.
So I googled it. Up pops you tube. That's a good sign.
The first video I try shows a picture of the inside of your mouth and talks about where your tongue should be and not be. It suggests practising saying butter many times. (Butter - English for burro!)
I am on way but not there. You have to be able to do it every time. Not almost, one time on twenty. He says keep practising.
On to the next video on Youtube.
Eventually those of us who have not yet got the knack should get it.
Here's a record of the links I've tried so far (I'll update if I persist and find more):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfuyz9lxE0s (Andy)
One of the comments suggested that Russian speech therapists place a small piece of wood like a lolly stick above the tongue and the child has to blow air out. Another idea was to move the tongue side to side. I tried and that worked, once or twice, not every time. I'm starting to get the idea.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, researcher, author and speaker.
I was learning on Duolingo and very pleased with my progress and clicking on the button to hear the pronunciation when it occurred to me that I ought to not just listen but see the word. We had reached the Italian for butter, Il burro, a word with a double r. Oops. I can't roll my rs.
For years I had asked people and nobody had been able to teach me. It must be possible, somewhere on the internet. Millions of people can do it. Why not me?
I might never be able to sing an opera but at least I should be able to roll my r.
So I googled it. Up pops you tube. That's a good sign.
The first video I try shows a picture of the inside of your mouth and talks about where your tongue should be and not be. It suggests practising saying butter many times. (Butter - English for burro!)
I am on way but not there. You have to be able to do it every time. Not almost, one time on twenty. He says keep practising.
On to the next video on Youtube.
Eventually those of us who have not yet got the knack should get it.
Here's a record of the links I've tried so far (I'll update if I persist and find more):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfuyz9lxE0s (Andy)
One of the comments suggested that Russian speech therapists place a small piece of wood like a lolly stick above the tongue and the child has to blow air out. Another idea was to move the tongue side to side. I tried and that worked, once or twice, not every time. I'm starting to get the idea.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, researcher, author and speaker.
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