The rrrrreason I rrrrreally need to learn to rrrrrroll my rrrrrrr’s is that I have accepted a part-time position co-teaching Spanish at my kids’ school. I have been volunteering for one class all year, and it suddenly occurred to the teacher and head of school that they need a lot more help, and that they could pay me (not much, but something). Next year I’ll probably work three days a week. I speak Spanish fluently, but I’ve been faking those dang r’s all these years. If I’m going to teach, I would love to be able to demonstrate proper pronunciation. So that’s my new project. I’ve been practicing, but so far, no luck. I’ll keep working at it but if you see a lady with purple glasses wandering around mumbling da-da-da-da-da and spitting through the corners of her mouth, that would be me.
I am strangely excited to have an actual job, with a paycheck, for the first time in the new millenium. My colleague is fantastic and willing to let me do lots of fun stuff. And on that note, here’s a video that I saw over at Annabella’s this week:
We’re going to have our 5th-8th graders come up with their own version of a Spanish love song, or country song, or kid’s song or whatever, and videotape it. That should be equally hilarious.
p.s. don’t forget to enter the drawing for the kid’s yoga book and mat over on this post by Monday!
April 12, 2008 at 4:46 am
I loved the video and I can tell he has the same problem with the “r” as you do but that’s the only fault he has and it’s not a big deal. I speak Portuguese and our “r” is the same. Well, just keep trying but as I said it’s not a big deal.
April 12, 2008 at 5:47 am
Ok, try this:
The tip of your tongue needs to be up against your palate. The exact location, at least for me, is where the ridge is, so not against the front teeth and not against the soft palate, just at the edge where your palate starts going up (hope this makes sense).
Then, as you exhale, try to direct the air towards the gap underneath your tongue, so that would be almost against the gums of your lower teeth.The air needs to go there, to that cavity formed between the inside of the lower gums and the bottom of the mobile part of your tongue. That’s what will make your tongue vibrate.
Once you feel the vibration, you can try using your vocal cords to make a sound. You will feel that this directs the air a bit further up, towards the tip of your tongue, but that’s fine because this is what will make the rrrr sound!
Let me know if this works!
April 12, 2008 at 8:15 am
Love the idea. How are those rrrrrr’s going? How is it that your husband can’t teach you. I found it a lot easier when my daughter was standing in front of me showing me how to do it. Then she left and a few hours later, my rolling rrrrrrrrrrrr’s disappeared as well.
April 12, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Congratulations and well done!
April 13, 2008 at 11:30 am
I can’t roll my rrs either, but I’m excited for your upcoming adventure. It sounds like such a fun job, and I can’t wait to hear more about it.
April 18, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Hi YM
After so many years of living in the continental US, I no longer roll the “r” in my name when introducing myself. When I first came here and would roll it, I would invariably be asked to say my name over and over so people could understand it. I can see the usefulness of learning it if you are going to teach it. But you probably communicate well even without the rolling. Wow, V is a real teacherrr.
cheers, Arturo