This topic helps speakers to find out speaking related issues due to mother tongue influence. Tongue twisters and advice on correcting diction problems.
2. Statutory Warning!!!
• This article is not to make pun or fun of anyone. As we know laughing on others
accent can be bad. But Laughing on your own accent is completely safe. So try it
often!!
• This article mostly targeted towards Indian English Speakers. As other
geographies English discrepancies, I need to first learn.
• Please excuse some of the filler words and grammatical mistakes that is to bring
out the Mother Tongue Influence (MTI) affects required for the topic.
• This is not a complete information on “Twisting your tongue”. For complete or
more information. Let’s have a discussion on cup of coffee. Of-course - Paid by
you );-
3. Introduction
English is one of the world wide acceptable language. We have seen in India many varieties
of English. We have learnt English with Interference of our mother tongue (MTI). Many of
us have grown up listening to our parents, relatives, friends and even teachers speaking
with mother tongue influence. Therefore that becomes our default English speaking style.
Now style is style… What to do?
However it causes disturbances to the listeners and many a times misunderstandings too.
It also makes our best speaking opportunities untidy and leaves the mark on listeners
mind. Some different image about us. I remember so many instances in my school, colleges
where instead of focusing on what my teacher is teaching, I used to focus on how teacher
is speaking.
• One typical funny incidence I remember where my teacher from core of Uttar Pradesh
used to speak something like this.
Teacher Anter no notice. Phull talking. This ijj Inglis clash. You both thinking if inglish
speaking is like Phunny joke. Repeat behabior and you will be ouht from clash.
4. Typical Indian MTI from various regions of India
• East India: Odhisa
• These people are bery cordial and if you are Vivek they bill soorly ask you Bibek or Bhibhek. They do not
sout as they are bery shimple people.
• East India: Kolkatta
• Bhat is this nooise going on. Lohks like some Konstrukson Vork going on. But I am not able to shleep re
baba and see the Garl of my Drimz. She is bhaiting for me.
• North India: Punjabi
• My frnd fram Kannada coming to India ji. She is on very high pojition and posht. She has sporrt from her
Papa ji. Very rich Bujiness piple.
• South India
• Student: Sir, Noh matter how hard I sthudy. My maarks will alwhays be lower na.
• Sir: YumIT and YumCA group you need to work Haard. See Yidly Yis The Secret of My Yenergy. Have it
Marning/ Eveningaa. It will elp. And you Swetha you need to work vhery harda.
• West India: Gujarati
• Gujarati people like to keep kes in the benk and their favorite past time is eating snakes like paav bhaji,
dhokla, pizyzaa at the local snake bar. They believe in the brotherhood and sisterhood very mutch
(bhai’s and bhen’s).
5. Too much twist….
• East (W/O/ C/G/A)
• What – Bhat, Waiting – Bhaiting
• Noise - Nooise
• construction – Konstrukson
• Girl of Dreams - Garl of Drimz
• Call – Coool
• North (IE/ O/C/ S/U)
• Friend – Frnd
• From – Fram
• Cannada – Kannada
• Position – Pojition
• Post – Posht
• Support - Sporrt
• South (H/ M/E/I)
• No - Noh
• Study - Sthudy
• Always - Alwhays
• MIT/ MCA - YMIT/ YMCA
• Enery - Yenergy
• Idly – Yidly
• Help – Elp
• West (C/ A/ Z)
• Cash – Kes
• Bank – Benk
• Snacks – Snakes
• Pizza – Pijja (Zya)
6. Correct Twists – With Tongue Twisters
Tion/sion/S/Sh
• She sells sea shells on shiny sea shore.
• The Sixth Sick Shekh’s Sixth Sheep is Sick
Th/ T
The thirty-three thieves thought that they thrilled the throne throughout Thursday
F/ W
Four furious friends fought for the phone
Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't fuzzy was he?
I/ E
Each easter eddie eats eighty Easter eggs
I scream you scream we all scream for ice cream
7. Correct Twists – With Tongue Twisters…some more
P
Peter piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
M
I miss my Swiss Miss. My Swiss Miss misses me
Mummies munch much mush; Monsters munch much mush; Many mummies and
monsters Must munch much mush.
H/Wh
He threw three free throws
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
8. How & Why to Twist…. Summary
• Target – Neutral Indian English Speaker
• For us Indians, the target should be to reduce our mother tongue influence so
much that from a Punjabi/Bhojpuri/Tamil/Marathi or Bengali English speaker,
we become an Indian English speaker.
• Keep Patience. Cannot be done overnight.
• How to correct?
• Use technology: Record/ Listen, Review, Listen others music and speeches
• Read out loud
• Tongue Twisters
• Join toastmasters and find yourself good Mentor
