Part 3: Pronouncing Names... How to Get it Right

The tools and resources offered were somewhat helpful. I put a few of my more difficult to pronounce names in the 'inogolo' search and it was to no avail. The names were not coming up successfully... For next school year, I could see myself using and further exploring some of these resources again. Using pronunciation guides, different Apps (Ear It App), using the classic phonetic method as well. Like the Podcast said, just trying to pronounce their name(s) correctly and maybe even going the extra mile, will be much appreciated by them. Thus, hopefully helping to build a solid relationship and rapport with my students.

I like the inogolo site because it has several versions of names, spoken in various dialects, along with a written explanation of the pronunciations. I did try a few names that I've encountered over the years, and it was less successful. Part of that comes from parents using alternate spellings of names or creating "new" names for their children. That is much more what we run into with students in our school. I find it is better to hear the name straight from the person's mouth, rather than try to look it up elsewhere.
The Name Engine is helpful for finding people in the public eye. (I just don't like all the ads popping up.) There is a similar site with recordings of authors and illustrators saying their own names:  https://school.teachingbooks.net/pronunciations.cgi It's important for anyone reading a book aloud to try to get those names right, as well. This is a good resource to use.

I can understand how these sites could be helpful if you were unsure how to pronounce a name. I would be willing to try them with future classes if I have a name that I am unsure how to pronounce.  I did try with some names from my current  class that might not be easily decodable however they were not in the database.  

As I only have 18 kids, I know how to pronounce their names.  I do understand that middle school and high school teachers have more ethnicity and more kids to learn how to pronounce their names.

I didn't have much success with many of the unique names in our school on the https://inogolo.com/index site. I added several names from various classrooms in our school. I like the idea of leaving phonetic spellings along with the class list for substitutes or visitors to the classroom. I believe we really need to make sure we are pronouncing students' names correctly in order to make them feel welcomed and important in our classrooms and school. 

I explored the databases. Some of my students' names, like Abdalkarem, Raheel, Hadeel, etc were not in the database and I was able to add them. I was able to find Abdalkarem in the 3rd resource. I would probably use this resource the most.

I think these tools are really neat (I liked the first one). With so many students in our district coming from varying cultures and backgrounds, this could help us try to understand the pronunciation of various names before even meeting a student. I still feel that it would be important to ask the student (however they're most comfortable) to pronounce it themselves, though, since we know that even names we've seen before and think we know how to pronounce could be pronounced differently person to person. I think the tools provided could be really great for use with our nonverbal students or with individuals who might be harder to understand as a supplementary tool when doing the work to understand how to pronounce their names correctly.

I thought that these toolsa and resources were so interesting, especially since we have such a high ENL population. I do realize that some of my students don't like to correct me, are embarassed, or still struggle with the language themselves so hearing others who are native speakers say their name is so helpful. It does show that I have taken the time to not only say the name, but learn it too. 

It's a good point that some students are so used to others mispronouncing their name or allow people to make it "easier" so but us taking the time to actually learn the right way, it shows we care and that they matter. 

As a teacher I sometimes feel as though there are so many resources out there that I am constantly being shown and I am adding it to my bookmarks. I really liked the how to pronounce website the best, but they all seemed to good! I typed some of our newer kiddos names into the websites and I have to go and see the kiddos to see if I am correct. It has helped me break the names into parts that I remember because I can have the website repeat it over and over again without feeling like I am embarrassing the student!

I really loved when she said "whatever you do, do something" and I believe every teacher should live by these words. 

While I do see the value in these resources, and understand how they could come in handy...... I personally think that the best way to learn how to pronounce a students name is asking them directly. Yes, it may be work to perfect the pronunciation, but it will mean the world to that child that you took the time, and put in the effort to learn how to pronounce it correctly.

Certainly, let's explore these pronunciation resources in a more narrative style:
When it comes to pronouncing students' names correctly, Jennifer Gonzalez's advice to "do something" and make it count is indeed valuable. One way to achieve this is by using available tools and resources. I decided to explore some of these resources:
In my quest to improve my ability to pronounce names correctly, I used Inogolo. This resource offers audio clips of names from various parts of the world. It's a valuable resource for educators seeking to ensure they get their students' names right. After giving it a try with the names of students currently in my class, I found some names that did not match up with how my students pronounced it. 
Another resource I explored was The Name Engine, which focuses on famous names. Fun tool, but I did not find much help with this one. 
Lastly, HowToPronounce is a versatile platform that covers a wide range of names, both common and less common. This resource can be quite valuable for practicing the pronunciation of student names. I've used the YouTube version of this many times and it's helped out tremendously! 
In terms of recommendations, I would advise teachers to explore these resources and determine which one works best for their specific needs and the diversity of names in their classrooms. Also, I'd consider seeking input from students themselves since they would see the genuine interest in their name! They often provide the most accurate guidance on the correct pronunciation of their names, and involving them in the process can foster a sense of respect and inclusion.