I also think pronunciation of a foreign tongue could be better taught than by demanding from the pupil those internal acrobatic feats that are generally impossible and always useless. This is the sort of instruction one receives: 'Press your tonsils against the underside of your larynx. Then with the convex part of the septum curved upwards so as almost but not quite to touch the uvula try with the tip of your tongue to reach your thyroid. Take a deep breath and compress your glottis. Now without opening your lips say "Garoo".' And when you have done it they are not satisfied. Jerome K. Jerome
About This Quote

One can't just teach someone to pronounce a foreign language without teaching them how to pronounce the word in the first place. The way people today ask for these ridiculous tasks in foreign languages is just another example of how much they don't know about what they are asking.

Source: Three Men On The Bummel

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