tests, tests and more tests

It is official. I cannot tell my nasal vowels from my nasal septum (the little bit that separates your nostrils).

I got 9 out of 20 in our test of nasal vowel acuity. 9 out of 20! That's pathetic. That's the mark I get from a certain lecturer who shall be nameless but who always gives me really duff marks!

The phonetics lecturer (bless her!) said "Don't worry - your ears will improve!" I wasn't the worst. One person got 2/20 and a round of applause.

I was a little bit glad in a way, because I got 17 out of 20 in the dictation test and I was rather worried that she might have thought I had cheated.

I told her that I am in "chute libre" (free-fall), but I don't really think I am. I have been using a website that gives you phonetics exercises, but if I am honest I have to use all my creative powers to hear a difference between bon and banc (for example). Let's hope my ears do improve!

Strangely I don't have much difficulty understanding what people say - the radio is fine and so on. I think I work things out from the context. For example one sits on a bon banc, not a banc bon and one eats a bon bon, not a banc banc.

And at least now I understand how people genuinely cannot hear the piccolos in the storm bit of Beethoven's 6th.

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