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Pronunciation
The divine gift of articulate speech
Read & Think

What is the status of the English language

according to this text?
Can you spot the irony?

Anyone can spot an Irishman or a

Yorkshireman by his brogue1, but I can place a
man within six miles in London. Sometimes
within two streets. ()
Why cant the English teach their children how
to speak?
This verbal class distinction by now should be
antique
If you spoke as she does, sir,
instead of the way you do
you might be selling flowers too.
An Englishman of speaking
absolutely classifies him.
The moment he talks makes other Englishmen
despise2 him
One common language
Im afraid well never get
Oh, why cant the English learn to
set a good example to people
whose English is painful to your ears.
The Scotch and the Irish
leave you close to tears3 .
There even are places

where English completely disappears.

Why, in America
they havent used it for years!
Why cant the English teach their children how
to speak?
Norwegians learn Norwegian
the Greeks are taught in Greek,
In France every Frenchman
knows his language from A to Z,
The French dont care what they do actually
as long as they pronounce it properly.
Arabians learn Arabian with the speed of
summer lightening4
The Hebrews learn it backwards
which is absolutely frightening5.
Use proper English
youre regarded as a freak6
Why cant the English
Why cant the English learn to speak?
From the film: My Fair Lady
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=jhninL_G3Fg)

a strong accent, especially Irish and Scottish

to hate

you can almost cry when you hear them

(FR) clair

makes you scared

a person (or animal) with a strange abnormality; to freak out = to get scared of sg
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Practice to hear, practice to say

The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plane.
In Hartford, Hereford and Hampshire hurricanes hardly ever happen.
How kind of you to let me come.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJr9SSJKkII)
What has changed between the two moments?
What do you think the relationship between the two characters is?

Watch the film without sound from 0.52 to 2.1.

What do you think they are doing?
What do you think the difference is between the man and the girls way of blowing into the glass
ball?
Which sound do you think they are practicing?

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Every time you pronounce the letter H correctly the flame will waver7 every time you drop8 your
H the flame will remain stationary. Thats how youll know you have done correctly by the time
your ear will hear the difference. See it better in the mirror.
In Hartford, Hereford and Hampshire hurricanes hardly ever happen.

Watch the film with sound from 3.07 to 4.23

What is the problem with the way the girl says the following: How kind of you to let me come.
What is the similarity between the following two phrases: cup of tea / kind of you

Enjoy the film

Watch the result of Professor Higgins training sessions with Mrs Doolittle:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOopiSX4KrI
The full movie of May Fair Lady directed by George Cukor with Audrey Hapburn and Rex Harrison
is based on the play Pygmalion by G.B. Shaw.

This worksheet is based on excerpts from the movie My Fair Lady (1964)
using videos on You Tube.
7 when the flame moves, to flicker
8

leave out
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