Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!silver!rschmidt
From: rschmidt@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (roy schmidt)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Early Language Learning & Ancient Language
Summary: Not again!!
Keywords: common myths
Message-ID: <45847@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu>
Date: 26 May 90 01:21:03 GMT
References: <6544@ucrmath.UCR.EDU> <17833@ultima.cs.uts.oz> <1990May25.142052.16989@athena.mit.edu> <5441@helios.TAMU.EDU>
Sender: root@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu
Organization: Indiana University, Bloomington IN.
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>In article <1990May25.142052.16989@athena.mit.edu> ccimino@hstbme.mit.edu.UUCP (c cimino) writes:
>>....  After a certain age, if the babies
>>have not been exposed to those sounds, they are no longer able to learn to 
>>differentiate ('l' and 'r' in japanese children for example).  ...
>
This is one of those age-old myths.  There is no such 'l' and 'r' thing
in oriental languages!  In Japanese, the 'r' sound is very soft, very
close to an 'l'.  It is true that orientals have trouble with these
sounds in English, but only because in Japanese and Chinese the l and r
are only used as initial consonants, and it confuses them to no end to
fit such sounds in unaccustomed places.  Still, with a good teacher
(which many of them lack) they do learn to make the sounds.
	In Chinese, there are both normal 'l' sounds and soft 'r'
sounds.  Some Americans have a lot of trouble making the 'r' sound, and
think its an 'l' when they hear it....Now who has the problem?

Roy

P.S>  Forgot my sig on the last posting:
Roy Schmidt
Indiana University
Graduate School of Business
Bloomington              rschmidt@silver.ucs.indiana.edu