But if you practice them, listen to them and know where to place your tongue, they become easier. Zhou said there are many Chinese sounds that don’t exist in English. Zhou’s tutorial gave participants a baseline understanding of the main points, and some much-needed practice in a learning environment. He explained key differences in common consonants and vowels between English and Chinese, like in his own last name, “Zhou,” pronounced closer to the common American name, Joe.

He taught the 45-minute crash course, organized by Maryland Smith's Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Smith School of Business.Ĭhinese names are not difficult to pronounce if you can spot the similarities and differences between Chinese and English, said Minglang Zhou, a linguistics professor from UMD’s School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. 11, 2019, at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. SMITH BRAIN TRUST – Do you struggle to pronounce the names of Chinese colleagues and friends? Are you a native English speaker who wants to practice but doesn’t want to embarrass yourself? You’re in good company. Faculty, staff and students came with notepads to learn how to properly address their Chinese colleagues on Oct.

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