Living in a country as diverse as the United States and especially in Northern Virginia, there are people all from different backgrounds seeking opportunities and new experiences.
With diversity comes different names from various languages and a wide variety of phonetic pronunciations. Someone’s name might have a different phonetic pronunciation than how it looks in the English language, making it hard for someone to have their name pronounced correctly while living in a country where English is the primary language.
Whether the person’s name is pronounced on a daily basis during attendance in a classroom setting or their name is being pronounced for an important award, it is critical that not only people communicate the correct pronunciation of their name to others, but others make an effort to learn the name pronunciation.
Even though accents vary, the pronunciation of a name is a part of an individual’s identity, and out of respect for the background of a person’s name and for the person, people should recognize how important it is to learn the correct name pronunciation.
It is critical to consider that there are several issues that contribute to an individual’s name being pronounced incorrectly that result from both parties involved. Half of the time, students accept the fact that their name is one that people that are not used to phonetically and allow teachers, classmates and other individuals in their life to pronounce their name wrong. This makes it hard for individuals learning to pronounce a name to even know whether or not they are pronouncing the name correctly.
On the other hand, individuals learning to pronounce a name may struggle with the phonetic pronunciation of it and not seek enough help from the individual when the individual struggles to take the initiative to teach them their name pronunciation as well.
This causes students to face a barrier as they have one name pronunciation outside of their home and a different one inside their home.
In a diverse nation, it is not only individuals that are used to English phonetics, but there are also people that have moved from other parts of the world that have another native tongue.
In general, differences in phonetics have made it hard for people to pronounce certain names, but despite this, when an individual makes an effort to help others pronounce their name, it is also crucial that individuals learning the pronunciation make an effort as well.
When it comes to monumental milestones such as an individual’s high school graduation when in many cases, people have relatives come to celebrate their achievement, name pronunciations are more than important.
There are several great ways for individuals to work together so that names can be pronounced correctly. Some strategies include individuals writing out or recording the phonetic pronunciation of their name to share with others. People can also utilize technology to hear an individual’s name pronunciation in the language that it comes from. Moreover, helping individuals feel comfortable communicating name pronunciations to other individuals is crucial as well.
Regardless of the situation, a name’s pronunciation is a part of an individual’s identity and it is important for individuals to recognize the importance of helping others learn and for everyone to make an effort to learn those pronunciations.
