I don't imagine we all remember the terminology, but all of us who are native speakers of English are familiar with the way English words that sound the same can mean different things, or words that are spelled the same may be pronounced differently and so on. We may get confused at times, though, and this confusion is the basis for a certain amount of humor.
When I am tutoring, I am very conscious of all these dynamics. I always begin a session by asking the students if she has any questions. Almost always her questions have to do with confusion over words that sound the same to her but mean different things. It is complicated by the fact that many words sound the same to her that do not sound the same to me.
Friday when I got to her apartment, a young woman was there who works with my student's four-year-old son. The woman was going through a list of questions for parents about the boy's level of development. At one point, she asked if he had trouble choosing. My student look perplexed and asked, "You mean when he is eating a cookie or something?"
Then it was the other lady's turn to look perplexed.
"Not chews," I said, moving my mouth around and grinding my teeth, "choose -- picking something. Selecting what he wants. Escoger."
That she understood and answered that he did not have a problem choosing.
The woman with the questionnaire said, "Of course! I never would have thought of those two words sounding alike."
When I am tutoring, I am very conscious of all these dynamics. I always begin a session by asking the students if she has any questions. Almost always her questions have to do with confusion over words that sound the same to her but mean different things. It is complicated by the fact that many words sound the same to her that do not sound the same to me.
Friday when I got to her apartment, a young woman was there who works with my student's four-year-old son. The woman was going through a list of questions for parents about the boy's level of development. At one point, she asked if he had trouble choosing. My student look perplexed and asked, "You mean when he is eating a cookie or something?"
Then it was the other lady's turn to look perplexed.
"Not chews," I said, moving my mouth around and grinding my teeth, "choose -- picking something. Selecting what he wants. Escoger."
That she understood and answered that he did not have a problem choosing.
The woman with the questionnaire said, "Of course! I never would have thought of those two words sounding alike."
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