آب تونیک لطفا

Chgapter 5

TONIC WATER, PLEASE

Tetsuya Sarahashi grew up in Tokyo, Japan. He worked and studied for a year in Toronto, Canada. This story is based on two of Tetsuya’s experiences there.

How Well do you speak English? Could you survive in an English speaking country? Last year I went to live and study in Canada.

Before going, I took several English conversation classes. I also listened to a lot of English conversation tapes and I practiced speaking English with some foreign friends in my country. But could I communicate with people in Canada?

During my first months in Canada, I didn’t have a lot of trouble understanding people. This was a happy surprise. Unfortunately, however, Canadians couldn’t always understand me. This was because of my pronunciation.

My biggest pronunciation problems were with the “V” sound and the ‘‘I’’ sound. For example, when I said the word vote, it sounded like vote. And when I said the word late, it sounded like rate. One day I decided to look for some volunteer work. I went to the tourist center in Toronto to ask for information about Volunteering.

“Can I help you?” the woman at the tourist center asked.

“Yes, I’m looking for some Volunteer work,” I replied.

Unfortunately, I pronounced the Word “Volunteer” like “borunteer.” “I’m sorry,” she said, “What are you looking for?” “Volunteer work,” I answered, saying “borunteer” again. She looked at me strangely and then she called to a man behind the counter.

“Can I help you?” the man asked.

“Yes, I’m looking for some Volunteer work,” I repeated.

“Could you write that for me?” he asked. I wrote the words down and he immediately understood me. After that, I spent a lot of time practicing the 1) sound and the l sound.

I had trouble pronouncing a few other English sounds, too. I remember a funny experience I had at a night club. I wanted to get something to drink, so I went up to the bartender.

“Excuse me, tonic water, please,” I said.

“What?” the bartender asked.

I asked, “Can I have a tonic water?” “Say it again,” he responded.

I was kind of disappointed that he couldn’t understand me. I repeated my request several times, but still he couldn’t understand me. Then, suddenly, he opened the cash register and took out some quarters/’ He put the quarters on the bar and began to count them.

At first, I didn’t know what he was doing. Then, suddenly, I understood. I asked for tonic water, but he thought I asked for “twenty quarters”!

I burst into laughter and said, “No, I didn’t ask for twenty quarters.

I just want tonic water.”

The bartender seemed embarrassed, “I’m so sorry,” he said to me.

“The music is so loud.”

Now, whenever I ask for tonic water, I remember this incident and I look forward to the bartender’s response.