Jun 14, 2012

VOA Special English News 108





The government in Turkey has announced plans to let public school students take Kurdish language classes. Prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan decribed the movement in parliament Tuesday. He called it an "historic step". Turkey has been under pressure from Eurpean Union to ease restrictions on the Kurdish language. Turkey is seeking to join the EU.


original news

(日本語訳)
トルコ政府は、公立学校でクルド語の授業が選択できることを計画していると発表した。レジェップ・タイイップ・エルドアン首相は、木曜日、議会でその動きについて説明し、それは「歴史的なステップ」だと言った。トルコはEUからクルド語の制限を緩和するようプッレシャーを受けている。トルコはEUへの参加を求めている。

2 comments:

ジョン said...

from Eurpean Union
--> from the European Union

A few minor typos:
--> Turkey, Kurdish, parliament

It sounds like the announcer says "an historic step," pronouncing the "h." That's ... very weird.

In America, we almost always say "a historic" and I think they they say "an historic" with a silent "h" (sounding like "an 'istoric") in England.

I've never heard, though, someone say "an historic" while pronouncing the "h" and am pretty flabbergasted (surprised) by it. I wouldn't imitate it. "An" always comes before a vowel sound, and I'm not sure that there are even any exceptions to that rule.

Just FYI.

bikenglish said...

Jon-san,

Thank you for very interesting story about "an". Of course, I have been taught that "an" is placed before a vowel sound in school.

But, in this case, the announcer's saying sounds "an historic" to me.