Workplace Scenario | English/Spanish Pronunciation Supplement | The Cell Phone
Pronunciation Supplement: Notes for the name Joshua
In this story, the name Joshua can be difficult to pronounce for secondlanguage learners.
The sound made by the English letter j can be a challenge for Spanish
speakers. The Spanish letter j is pronounced like the English letter h.
J
These websites can be very helpful to model the correct pronunciation
of this troublesome letter:
http://www.engvid.com/english-pronunciation-j-y/
http://www.uiowa.edu/~acadtech/phonetics/english/frameset.html
(Click on “affricate.” Click on /dӡ/.)
In Spanish, the letter y and the ll may be pronounced with a kind of
“soft” /j/ sound, depending on the speaker’s region of origin.
o
sh
u
a
English short vowel sounds also pose a challenge. In Spanish, vowels
have one sound. The Spanish vowel o is pronounced like the English
long vowel o /ō/ (as in open). The English short o sounds more like the
Spanish a sound (as in papa).
The sh digraph does not occur in Spanish. However, the ch
digraph does occur in Spanish, and may be pronounced in a
softer way, with more air, than we usually pronounce it in
English. (The word chef and a few other words are pronounced
with this softer sound in English.) This comparison can help with
pronunciation. Some very common Spanish surnames begin with
the ch (for instance, Chavez and Chacon).
The English u in this name sounds exactly like the Spanish u.
It sounds like the vowel sound in suit or boot.
The English a in this name takes the schwa /ǝ/ sound. One way to
teach the schwa is to explain that sometimes the vowels get lazy. When
they get lazy they make the /ŭ/ sound. (As in “uh . . . I dunno!”)
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Workplace Scenario | English/Spanish Pronunciation Supplement | The Cell Phone
The Spanish version of the name Joshua is Josue (hō sway).
When addressing or referring to children named Joshua, Spanish-speakers may
add the suffix –ito (which is used to form diminutives in Spanish, as in “Pablito” or
“Andresito”) to the shortened form Josh, resulting in Joshito. This is similar to the
English suffix –y, as in Johnny and Bobby.
This may be a good time to bring up the term “nicknames.”
Joshua is a Biblical name from Hebrew that became very popular over the past 20
years. (http://www.babycenter.com/baby-names-joshua-2355.htm) Therefore, it is
quite likely that our second-language learners will meet individuals named Joshua
at work or in social situations. It will be plus if they can pronounce this name
correctly.
It’s important to acknowledge that when individuals grow up without hearing
certain sounds at all, it may be very difficult for them to replicate them as adults.
However, it can help second-language learners to develop the confidence to ask
questions of new acquaintances and emphasize that they are trying to pronounce
their names correctly. This can be practiced during role plays in class:
Anita:
Hello, I’m Anita.
Joshua:
Hi Anita, I’m Joshua.
Anita:
Would you please repeat your name a little slower?
I want to say it correctly.
Joshua:
Of course . . . Joshua.
Anita:
Joshua.
Joshua:
You’ve almost got it . . . Josh—u—a.
Anita:
Josh—u—a. Joshua. I might not have it exactly correct,
but I’ll keep trying!
Joshua:
Thanks. I appreciate that.
This activity can help individuals develop the communication tools they can use to
minimize hurt feelings, or the notion that mispronunciation is a sign of disrespect or
lack of sensitivity.
It’s also a good time to acknowledge that mispronunciation works both ways:
English speakers will mispronounce some names originating in other languages,
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Workplace Scenario | English/Spanish Pronunciation Supplement | The Cell Phone
and may face equal challenges trying to replicate certain sounds. (For instance,
English speakers may never master the “rolled r” in Spanish.) Students can benefit
from learning how to verbally address new (or old) acquaintances who have difficulty
with their “non-English” names:
“I know my name is difficult for a lot of English
speakers. Let me say it a little slower for you.”
“You’ve been mispronouncing my name, and I have
to admit it bothers me a little. Would you mind
listening to me say it slowly? Maybe then it will be
easier for you to pronounce.”
Sometimes, English speakers may shorten Spanish names to make it quicker
and/or easier for them to say. This may be frustrating to individuals who feel like
their names are being changed without their permission. Again, we can help our
students develop language strategies that address this problem:
“Would you do me a favor? I know my name is a
little long and hard to pronounce, but my name is
Emmanuel, not Manny. It may be a little funny,
but when you call me that, I always look around
for my uncle. In the family, we call him Manny. I’ve
never used a nickname; everyone calls me
Emmanuel.”
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