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DAL
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Hey Hank, Over Here. Spoken Finnish Advice.

Post by DAL » Fri Jul 18, 2003 7:36 am

Hank,

I have read numerous times that you always advise people that they should slow down their speech when they are first speaking Finnish. My question is this: when people speak slowly in Finnish to you, do you get annoyed that they are talking so s…l…o…w? Or is the annoyance that you feel at their slow speech offset by the ability to better understand them?

I am asking because I am making a conscious decision to speak Finnish slowly. Thanks


Dustin

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Hey Hank, Over Here. Spoken Finnish Advice.

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Hank W.
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Post by Hank W. » Fri Jul 18, 2003 9:45 am

Well, I'd need to hear you speak to define if you speak *slow enough* or not. It gives you more time to think and more time to pronounce each letter - right?

You need to imagine a metronome ticking. You can fasten the pace once you start getting things correct. But Finnish requires the tap tap tap tap of the syllables.

The average anglophone person speaks about 2/3 too fast and sounds like a retarded monkey on acid trying to include the vowel change and intonation of their local dialect. Finnish has no intonation - well, on the first syllable but as it is always there it isn't noticed...

I've been told I speak English like "Robocop"... Finnish 'nointonationess' bleeding through.
Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.

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Post by DAL » Sat Jul 19, 2003 12:14 am

Hank W. wrote:...sounds like a retarded monkey on acid ...
Thank you very much I will be over in September and buy you all the beers you want if you will listen to my Finnish for the right speed.

By the way what does a retarded monkey on acid sound like? :D
Dustin

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Hank W.
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Post by Hank W. » Sat Jul 19, 2003 3:33 am

Me after a few beers :?
Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.


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