From wegetables to witality

Just like I have trouble saying a lot of Chinese sounds (their "R" sound for example... I swear there's a "Z" in there somewhere), many Chinese speakers have trouble with certain English sounds. One of the big ones I've noticed is the letter V. I've been teaching my students "V" this week, and it's a battle to say the least. The first time I held up my vegetables picture card and heard "wegetables" said back to me, I laughed and then thought, "woah." And I'm realizing it's not an easy nut to crack. They're trying hard but it's not a sound they say in their native tongue, so it's a sound I'm totally teaching them--and it's one I want them to master. At the Peking opera thing a few weeks back, one of the highlights was this translator lady who looked like a Chinese flight attendant/tour guide robot, always with a plastered smile and a high, happy voice, butchering the English language. Her best line: while explaining this one song and the combination of instruments it used, she said, "It represents China's strength and witality." I don't want my students to talk like her someday. Anyway, as you're back home saying and hearing the letter V with no problem, think of me and my kiddos. And, of course, think of our wegetables.