Never fear. It is possible to pronounce the “L’s” and the “R’s”. Sometimes, learners throw up their arms and say, “I just can’t do it! I have a short tongue!”
Well, I have to thank those students for giving me the long-tongue, short-tongue image. I have put some thought into this. The tongue is largely muscle and can be trained to make different shapes (to some extent). Welcome to the mini Olympics of the tongue.
Practice this: Hold your tongue in the middle of your mouth for sixty seconds, without touching any of:
- your teeth
- your cheeks
- the roof or your mouth
- the surface beneath your tongue.
Try to make some different facial expressions during this sixty second period:
- smile
- make a surprised look
- pretend you are sleeping
- pout
Finally, try to move your tongue around within this limited space. up and down. side to side. diagonally. make circles. Don't touch the sides!!!! or the TOP or the bottom or the TEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETH.
Do it to music. It makes you feel less silly!! Humm while doing it. Do this sixty second exercise twice a day. (or more frequently.) Now you feel the power of the tongue. In order to feel the difference between the “L” and the “R”, you have to be aware of the inside of your mouth.
The tongue position for “R” is pretty easy. The 2 sides of the tongue, toward the back of the mouth, touch the upper teeth, or gums. Make sure the front of the tongue is not touching anything. Make the vowel sound: her gurr her gurr her gurr. Notice, it is pretty hard to make the other vowel sound sounds, like: high hate cone. This is because, the “R” goes with the soft “e” and “u” vowels, usually.
The tongue position for “L” is also easy. This time the tip of the tongue touches the front upper teeth. Make sure the sides of the tongue are not touching anything. Make the vowel sound: hill heel hill heel hill heel. Notice that the sides of your tongue do not touch the sides of your mouth. Also notice, that unlike with the “R”, the tongue has to move off the teeth between words.
FACT: It is difficult for many non-native English speakers to actually hear the difference in their own ears. So get used to feeling the the difference instead. Eventually, as your fluency improves, you too, will begin to hear it.
Well, I have to thank those students for giving me the long-tongue, short-tongue image. I have put some thought into this. The tongue is largely muscle and can be trained to make different shapes (to some extent). Welcome to the mini Olympics of the tongue.
Practice this: Hold your tongue in the middle of your mouth for sixty seconds, without touching any of:
- your teeth
- your cheeks
- the roof or your mouth
- the surface beneath your tongue.
Try to make some different facial expressions during this sixty second period:
- smile
- make a surprised look
- pretend you are sleeping
- pout
Finally, try to move your tongue around within this limited space. up and down. side to side. diagonally. make circles. Don't touch the sides!!!! or the TOP or the bottom or the TEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETH.
Do it to music. It makes you feel less silly!! Humm while doing it. Do this sixty second exercise twice a day. (or more frequently.) Now you feel the power of the tongue. In order to feel the difference between the “L” and the “R”, you have to be aware of the inside of your mouth.
The tongue position for “R” is pretty easy. The 2 sides of the tongue, toward the back of the mouth, touch the upper teeth, or gums. Make sure the front of the tongue is not touching anything. Make the vowel sound: her gurr her gurr her gurr. Notice, it is pretty hard to make the other vowel sound sounds, like: high hate cone. This is because, the “R” goes with the soft “e” and “u” vowels, usually.
The tongue position for “L” is also easy. This time the tip of the tongue touches the front upper teeth. Make sure the sides of the tongue are not touching anything. Make the vowel sound: hill heel hill heel hill heel. Notice that the sides of your tongue do not touch the sides of your mouth. Also notice, that unlike with the “R”, the tongue has to move off the teeth between words.
FACT: It is difficult for many non-native English speakers to actually hear the difference in their own ears. So get used to feeling the the difference instead. Eventually, as your fluency improves, you too, will begin to hear it.
