Those difficult sounds in English: Lesson One
Introduction:
Egyptian Arabic speakers often find the English sounds /p/ and /v/ difficult because these sounds do not exist in Arabic, leading to confusion between words like “pat” and “bat” or “vine” and “fine.” Additionally, the /th/ sounds as in “think” and as in “this” are challenging because they are not present in Arabic, causing pronunciation issues. The /r/ sound in English can also be tricky, as it differs from the Arabic “r” (which is often more rolled or guttural). Lastly, English vowel sounds, especially the short and long vowels, can be confusing since Arabic has fewer vowel distinctions than English. Such as A.E.I.O.U.
Text One: “P” and “V” Sounds. Practice reading the text with your teacher and once corrected say it again. Remember to practice a lot.
1). Here’s a simple text for practicing the sounds “P” and “V”:
“Peter and Victor are friends. Peter likes to play with a ball. Victor visits Peter every weekend. They enjoy playing and talking together. Peter’s favorite fruit is pineapple, and Victor loves to eat vegetables. Can Peter and Victor find a big park to play in? They want to have fun and be happy.” Practice reading this slowly, focusing on pronouncing the “P” and “V” sounds clearly.
2). “Peter and Victor are very good friends. Peter loves to play football in the park every weekend. Victor prefers to visit museums and view paintings. One day, Peter invited Victor to a picnic near the river. They packed a picnic basket with pizza, vegetables, and fruit. Victor brought his camera to take pictures of the beautiful view. As they played and talked, they saw a very colorful parrot sitting on a tree. Peter and Victor felt very happy. They promised to meet again next Saturday to explore new places.
Practice saying words like ‘Peter,’ ‘play,’ ‘park,’ ‘picnic,’ ‘pizza,’ ‘vegetables,’ ‘view,’ ‘river,’ ‘parrot,’ ‘happy,’ and ‘plan’ to improve your pronunciation of the ‘P’ and ‘V’ sounds.”
Text Two: “TH” Sounds. Practice reading the text with your teacher and once corrected say it again. Remember to practice a lot.
Here’s a long, simple text to help you student practice the “th” sounds (/θ/ as in “think” and /ð/ as in “this”):
1). “Today, I want to thank my father for his help. The weather is warm, and the sky is clear. I think about the things I want to do this week. I will go to the park with my friends and then visit my mother. The other day, I saw a big elephant at the zoo. It was a wonderful thing to see. I also like to read books about history and geography. Sometimes, I write stories about my thoughts and dreams. I think that learning English helps me understand new things every day.
2). Today, I want to thank my teacher for her thoughtful help. The weather today is very warm, and the sky is clear. I think about the things I need to do this week. I plan to go to the park with my friends and then visit my family. Last Thursday, I saw a big elephant at the zoo, and it was a fascinating sight. I also like to read books about history and geography, because they help me understand the world better. Sometimes, I write stories about my thoughts and dreams. I believe that learning English is important, and it helps me find new friends and explore different cultures. Thank you for helping me improve my pronunciation of the “th” sounds, whether I am saying “this,” “that,” “thank,” or “think.” I will continue to practice so I can speak clearly and confidently.
Practice saying words like: This, That, Those, Then, Think, Thank, Though, Through, Throw, Thorough to improve your pronunciation of the ‘TH’ sound.”