If they want it, teach it!
Wow… it’s been a really long time since I’ve written in here. Mostly because I’ve been engulfed in phonetics. My world has become phonetics. I’m like the “Phonetics Queen!” I don’t really know how it happened. The word got out on the street and now I’m traveling to teach phonetics. Yep, I’ve given talleres (workshops) now in Leon and Carazo… and they’re asking for one in Managua. I’ve also trained the new volunteers on how to incorporate pronunciation topics into the high school curriculum. I’ve made guides to intonation, simple steps for linking, and am now getting into rhythm with my university students. It’s crazy.
But why is phonetics / pronunciation such a hot topic in TEFL / TESOL (Teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language)? Everyone is soooo caught up on pronunciation. Why?
I love phonetics, don’t get me wrong. And I think it’s important. But aren’t there bigger fish to fry? Like grammar, sintax, pragmatics? A little accent doesn’t kill anyone, and slightly mispronouncing a word rarely breaks down conversations beyond repair. It’s those other topics that hinder communication on a bigger scale.
So why?!?! Why is sounding like a “native” so important??? Who is a native English speaker anyways? What is the standard English accent ?
The answer for Nicaragua is the US accent. The goal is always to sound like an American! English language learners in Nicaragua strive to sound like us…
It’s more than just an issue of bettering their English, though. It’s more an issue of confidence and respect. Here in Nicaragua ‘pena’ (best translation = embarrassment) is a big issue. Saying “me da pena” (more or less -it makes me feel embarassed) is reason enough to get out of doing anything. I guess making someone do something out of their comfort is not common here. So basically, learners of English / English teachers have “pena” to speak English if they don’t know how to correctly pronounce the words. Almost to the point that they won’t speak English. They feel silly, they feel stupid, they feel embarrassed. Also, people are respected more, the more nativelike their English sounds. Often times the person judging won’t have a clue what they’re even saying but they’re good at English if they sound native, like those in the movies! And an English teacher is obviously a better teacher if they sound like a native. It has nothing to do with methodology, their vocabulary, accuracy, nothing.
So obviously there is a push to sound more nativelike. A push to better their prnounciation… and that’s why I’m so adored at the moment. I’m bringing to them what they want! They want pronunciation help! And what better source than “the gringa.” haha. In the end, if I break down this ‘pena’ barrier just a little, give English learners and teachers confidence to speak English, and help them get a little more respect as speakers of English, I think it’s worth it 
)
So I say… If they want it, let’s teach it!
