Pronunciation Challenge

みなさん、こんにちは！

もう4月ですね。また次のPronunciation Challengeがはじまります！

みなさん、日本に来たら、きっとカフェにいきますよね？

ということで、今月は、カフェでの注文（ちゅうもん）に使える言葉の発音（はつおん）の練習（れんしゅう）をしましょう！

とくに、「M」と「L」に気をつけてください。

アルファベットで書いてあっても、カタカナで読まないと通（つう）じません。

通じる：to make yourself understand

ぜひ、注文をしているところを想像（そうぞう）しながら、練習してみてください。

Fluent Talks 15は、カフェの注文です。

そちらも、練習してくださいね。

みなさんの参加をお待ちしてます！

You’ll probably go to a café when you come to Japan, right?So this month, let’s practice how to pronounce words you can use when ordering at a café!

Pay special attention to “M” and “L.”Even though they’re written in the alphabet on the menu, if you don’t say them in katakana, people won’t understand you.

Try to imagine yourself actually ordering while you practice.Fluent Talks 15 is all about ordering at a café too—make sure to practice with that one as well!

I can't wait to hear your recordings!

How to Participate:

Choose either the beginner, intermediate, advanced, or proficient level, record it, and upload it on the Forum as a reply to the announcement. Please read through the points and practice with a guide audio file and a PDF for pitch accent and intonation.

The deadline is Monday, April 21st, at 11:00 PM. JST.

Feedback: I will provide feedback via video on Monday, April 28th on the Forum.

Sentences to Read: Here are the sentences you’ll read. Please choose one, record, and upload it. I added points for you to be careful with, but if there are any other points you want me to check, please let me know.

【Beginner　初級（しょきゅう）】

コーヒー

ホット

M（エム）

Point 1:

The pitch accent of 「コーヒー」.

Many people pronounce it with an Atamadaka, (High-Low) accent, but that’s not correct. It’s Nakadaka.

Also, In theory, the first mora is low, and the pitch goes up on the second mora.

However, because the second mora is part of a long vowel, the pitch difference between the first and second mora might be hard to hear.

So, the first three mora are pronounced with a high pitch.

Point 2:

The pronunciation of 「ホット」.

Make sure to give small tsu enough time.

Point 3:The pronunciation of 「エム」.

Don’t forget to add the vowel 「ウ」 at the end.Even though it's written as the letter "M" on the menu, you have to pronounce it in katakana.Otherwise, it can be hard to understand.

【Intermediate　中級（ちゅうきゅう）】

本日のコーヒーを、ホットで、MとLを1つずつ、お願いします。

（I'd like today's coffee, hot, one M and one L, please.）

Point 1-3:

The same as Point 1-3 for beginners!

But you need to be careful with L (エル) too. Don’t forget to add the vowel う at the end when pronouncing L.

【Advanced　上級（じょうきゅう）】

うーん、そうですね…（メニューを見ている）

本日のコーヒーを、ホットで、Mでお願いします。

あ、すいません、やっぱり、カフェラテのLでお願いします。

（Hmm, let me see... (Looking at the menu)

I’d like today’s coffee, hot, one M please.

Oh, sorry, actually, I’ll have a café latte, with L please.）

Point 1:Natural intonation for 「うーん、そうですね」 and 「あ、すいません、やっぱり」.　What do you say when you want to change your order? Please try to imitate the model audio.Also, when you say うーん, your mouth should be closed, so it’s not the real う sound.

Point 2:

The word 「カフェラテ」

The last mora is テ, not テイ, and it has a Heiban accent.

Point 3-5:The same as Point 1-3 for intermediate!

【Proficient】

読みたいもの、言いたいことを5〜10文で録音してください。

自分のよく使う表現を練習してもいいかもしれません。

Please record in 5 to 10 sentences what you want to read or say. It might be a good idea to practice expressions you commonly use.

みなさんのチャレンジ、お待（ま）ちしてます！！

I can't wait to hear your recordings!