The Poison Request 'Could you Please Speak Slowly?' | Could Be Damaging Your Language Progress

'Could you please speak slowly' is one of the first phrases many language learners might learn in languages like Thai, Chinese, Spanish or Russian as they try to catch what native speakers are saying. While this may help you break initial language bombardments down into bite size chunks, asking native speakers to speak slowly could actually be damaging your overall development in the language.

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Check out the 'Game of Phones' clip that I mentioned where 'One Sentence can Fix them All' next

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[Tyler_Thailand]

Surprised with your qualifications that your views are insanely low. You've taught me tons with your many videos. Appreciate your videos, I'm subscribed and will continue to watch, and so will my Isaan wife Kik

[JosephDewey]

This is a great video! I finally know why Thai people copy me with two syllables when I slow down...I was always thinking that it was just because they couldn't "hear" the final consonant....but now I know that it's because I'm pronouncing it in the elementary school way that I learned to speak it slowly...but probably isn't actually a very good "slow" model for people without my exact same background. And you make a great point that the slow model is super problematic anyway.

One "test" like this....but I think it only works with Americans, is to show them the word "water" and have them pronounce it "clearly." They'll always give the second syllable with the British pronunciation (well, the 99.8% that aren't linguists)...WAH_TEHR but then having them use "water" in a sentence, then they'll use the regular American pronunciation of "WAH-DUHR." (sorry, I don't know IPA) I was really surprised when I found out that there's no T in water...for Americans, anyway. :)

And something similar to this, that I'd be totally fascinated with your analysis on....but it's kind of a localized US thing. In Utah, where I spent most of my life, then they're really afraid of dropping the T in words like mountain, fountain, accountant...and specifically the word mountain, since there are a lot of mountains in Utah, and people talk about them a lot, because of skiing, hiking, etc. So, there's this weird thing where about 0% of Utahns can actually say the word mountain "correctly." 50% of them say the super rural way, where they drop the T, and it sounds like MOU-UHN...and the other half overcompensate by overpronouncing the second syllable, so it's MOUN-TUHN (and the "wrong" thing about that...or at least the thing that's not in any dictionaries yet...is that Utahns pronounce mountain "correctly" with the stress on the second syllable, or sometimes equal stress on both syllables). It's bizarre, yet fascinating.

[seagull]

I never think about that, but you’re so right. My girlfriend actually is learning German. For a Thai it’s a very difficult language and she often have problems with the ending sounds. So this is really a very helpfully lesson. Thank you again Stuart. I really love the way you’re helping us guys learning and pronouncing a new language correctly🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼.

[franek]

I understand completely what you want to convey!
I learned from lessons and often people cannot understand me, if I speak Thai.
But one sentence I just copied from a friend.She was again and again saying "XEFsf34§($)§/" and I asked ??? What is it? It was เขาเรียกว่าอะไร uttered in normal speed.
This sentence I learned directly by copying her pronounciation and I think I can pronounce better than many other sentences.

[Rachel-uotl]

I'd love to hear more on Thai Sandhi (?). I find when I speak, I have to speak so slowly to have decent pronunciation. I think I can now self-correct myself fairly well. But I really struggle to speed up my speech whilst maintaining good pronunciation. I've been practicing listening/repeating or shadowing native speakers & reading aloud, but I still feel so slow. I'd love to know your recommendations on improving speed, whilst maintaining good (and by good I mean natural - not "official" dictionary) pronunciation. Will I just speed up eventually? Or is there more effective ways to progress? Thanks for your videos, they are so helpful!

[limonade]

I disagree with playing an instrument. The most difficult parts I practice very slowly and with different sometimes akward rythms. So the notes drip into my muscle memory over time.

[milanhrvat]

I must admit that I've also spoken like that British recording when someone asks me to slow down in English. I also give foreigner version English. I used to think that super clear and fully pronounced version was RP received pronunciation.

[Paljk]

Interesting, the English examples from the site make me think of children's entertainer speaking, where they speak in a more animated, brighter sound. I've never really thought about it before, but in that kind of speaking, they seem to raise the pitch and maybe change the vowels slightly too.

[winkblink]

Yeah I'd love to learn more about Thai tone Sandhi. I've learned Hmong and Mandarin and now I'm learning Thai