The story of how my Japanese 'voice' changed after learning English pronunciation
*You can listen to the full version of this post in audio.
Wow, it has suddenly become hot, hasn't it?
Just a little while ago I was thinking, 'Spring is finally here,' and now it's already summer weather. Where did spring go?
In the midst of all this, I spent a rather strange day yesterday.
That's because I spent the entire day focusing on English 'pronunciation'.
I never expected that I would end up reading English texts aloud at this point in time.
And on top of that, it was a task of carefully chasing the sounds while looking up the phonetic symbols one by one.
While doing so, I encountered an unexpected 'discovery'.
'Huh? Was it pronounced like this?'
I started learning English in junior high school, and I wonder how many years have passed since then.
Even so, there are moments when things I took for granted come crashing down.
That surprise was indescribably interesting.
Today, I would like to talk about that 'voice' story that started from 'English pronunciation',
which is a bit geeky, but actually very important.
The story of the shocking pronunciation
The trigger was a really casual word.
'history'
This word, which means history.
I'm sure many people pronounce it like Japanese, 'his-to-ry'. I was the same.
But, it was different.
The actual pronunciation didn't have the 'o' sound contained in 'tory'!
It feels more like 'his-tree'.
Huh? What was all that time I spent saying 'tory'? lol
What surprised me even more was 'softly'.
This word, which means 'softly' or 'gently'.
If you read it as it looks, it's 'soft-ly', right?
But in reality, it's not a 'so' sound, but a sound closer to 'sa'!
So why didn't I notice this for such a long time?
Because I was convinced that I was pronouncing it correctly!
When you have the assumption that you can do it, you stop there.
I realized that once again.
The difference in 'sound' between Japanese and English
To begin with, English pronunciation is difficult for Japanese speakers!
The reason for this is that
English has an overwhelmingly larger number of 'sounds'.
Take vowels, for example.
Japanese has five: 'a, i, u, e, o'.
On the other hand, English is said to have
nearly 20 types, including diphthongs.
In other words, roughly four times as many.
For instance, even sounds that all sound like 'a' to us,
the 'a' in cat
the 'a' in cup
the 'a' in father
the 'a' in about
These are all different.
But having grown up with Japanese,
we tend to lump those differences into a single 'a'.
After all, we've never moved our mouths that way
before, haha.
Furthermore, the number and usage of consonants are also vastly different.
Japanese is basically a combination of 'vowel + consonant'.
But in English, it is normal for consonants to follow one another.
Take 'stop', for example.
In Japanese, we unconsciously add a vowel, saying 'sutoppu'.
But in English, there is no 'u' sound between the 's' and the 't'.
This difference is both the difficulty and the fun of it.
Physical changes that occur during English pronunciation training
So, what happens when you practice English pronunciation thoroughly?
Actually, it doesn't just end with 'for the sake of English'.
First, the first point.
You start using your lips a lot more.
Japanese, surprisingly, involves very little mouth movement. But English is different. You can't produce the sounds unless you form your mouth properly.
Those who have watched overseas animation will understand, but the mouth movements are very expressive. In Japanese animation, the mouth just flaps open and shut.
And the second point.
You naturally become able to use diaphragmatic breathing.
In English, it's difficult to speak with shallow chest breathing.
And the third point.
You also use your tongue a lot.
The difference between L and R is a perfect example of that, isn't it?
In other words,
lips
breathing
tongue
English sounds only become established once you use these parts far beyond the range used in Japanese.
How does that apply to 'Japanese'?
Hearing this, you might think, 'That's just about English, right?'
But actually, this is where the real point begins.
This way of using your body, gained through English pronunciation training, directly influences your Japanese 'voice'.
Even with the same 'a' sound, countless expressions are born depending on the pitch and intensity.
However, when using only Japanese, that range is inevitably limited.
Once you experience English sounds,
that 'range' naturally begins to expand.
Then there are consonants.
Consonants are high-frequency sounds.
In other words, they are sounds that reach the ear easily.
By just being a little more conscious of these consonants,
your speech becomes much clearer and easier to understand.
You can make the words you want to emphasize stand out,
or create a rhythm.
Being able to perform such subtle control when using Japanese is also a major benefit of practicing English pronunciation.
The true nature of articulation and tips for improvement
We are rarely taught how to pronounce Japanese.
That is precisely why we grow up using our own self-taught methods.
And sometimes, that leads to 'hard-to-understand pronunciation'.
For those struggling with such issues, I recommend
Japanese language learning materials designed for foreigners.
Especially those that illustrate the position of the tongue with diagrams.
This is because many causes of poor articulation
lie in the misalignment of the tongue's position.
And since the tongue is a muscle, it can change if you train it.
In other words, both pronunciation and articulation can be improved through the right kind of muscle training.
What learning and discovery bring
While reading English aloud this time, what I felt most strongly was,
'Discovery is fun'
that was it.
Moments when you think 'Aha!' are exciting.
They say if you have such small moments of excitement every day, you won't age!
Summary
Well, this time the topic was the niche subject of English pronunciation, but
if you think you've mastered it, that's where you stop!
This is what I wanted to convey.
Since we have been pronouncing Japanese and speaking it ever since we were old enough to understand, we tend to think that we have already mastered it.
But when you realize that you haven't mastered it or don't fully understand it,
I believe that is where infinite possibilities open up.
Putting all that learning into a course
Everything from this kind of 'voice' and 'pronunciation',
to how to use your body and how to prepare your mindset.
I have poured everything I have accumulated so far
into my speaking course.
During the four days of Golden Week,
we will work closely together in a small group.
Whether you struggle with structuring your speech,
get nervous easily,
or have concerns about your voice or articulation.
Any topic is fine.
Before the course, we will have a one-on-one online session
to identify your true challenges and wishes together.
Please see the details at this link. https://24auto.biz/solaris/registp/GW4days.htm
Making human relationships easier too
Starting in May,
the 'NACA Communication Practical Course 3rd Term: Making Human Relationships and Yourself Easier'
will also begin.
This is a practical course where we unravel actual relationship issues
through dialogue.
Knowing yourself through others.
Such deep realizations will emerge.
I would be happy if you could join me.