L]: Being here for the past few weeks has made me understand what being "illiterate" feels like. I can't read the menu, the street signs, or even my own address! (Suddenly, I have flashbacks about being five years old again.) I have to carry pieces of paper with me, so I can show people (such as taxi drivers) where I live in case I get lost. So as you can see, I am eager to begin learning the language here...
So we are starting our language classes this week! We just got our first textbook and I eagerly thumb through it, hoping to get a feel for what I might be learning. This textbook has translations and definitions in English, for the typical American college student studying this new language. For once, I should finally understand what I am reading and the explanations, as it is in English. So, as I thumb through my textbook, I see explanations on how to pronounce certain tones and words.
Here goes:
"This is an unaspirated voiceless bilabial plosive. Lung air is compressed by the closure of the lips. Then the air escapes with a sudden release of lip closure, with no vibrations of the vocal cords."
Another explanation:
"Voiceless velar fricative. The back of the tongue is raised towards the soft palate. The air stream is expelled from the lungs, causing some friction in the vocal tract, with no vibrations of the vocal cords."
Yet another pronunciation tip:
"Unaspirated voiceless alveolar plosive. The primary obstacle is formed by a closure made between the tip of the tongue and the upper alveolar ridge. Lung air is compressed behind this closure, and then escapes with force upon release of the alveolar closure, with no vibrations of the vocal cords."
??! :)
Life in our new 'hood...
