Re: Describing the Welsh LL to non-linguists

Henrik Theiling wrote:
>
>Hi!
>
>René Uittenbogaard writes:
>
> > I'd describe it as follows:
> > Start with pronouncing a really long, sustained [l]. Now stop
> > pronouncing it, but keep your tongue in the same position. Now without
> > moving your tongue, blow air out, which should flow along both sides
> > of the tongue.
>
>I teach it the same way.  The funny thing is that most people do *not*
>leave their tongue in the same position although instructed to do so,
>but put more tension to it, so they get more friction: exactly what
>makes the /K/!  The description is for a /l_0/, but almost all people
>end up with a /K/.  Faszinating!  :-)
>
The hard part is getting people to understand how to turn voicing on/off
:-))

If you keep your tongue in [l] position, and release the air out both sides,
that tends to produce the [Sl]-ish or [Tl]-ish sounds. I've always
understood that Welsh speakers tend to favor pushing one side of the tongue
against the upper teeth (favoring either the left or right side), thus
releasing the air from only one side. (That's probably what accounts for the
greater friction we hear)