The Conversation A blog from Livemocha

Tongue Twister Challenge – win a 1-month Gold Key!

Posted by Kelly Doscher on October 9, 2012

The challenge of challenges is choosing a topic that will titillate, teach, and capture the collective attention of the audience. Tempting to tie the tongues of language learners leaves a boggler bumbling a bit, but finding a video clip like the one below makes my job much easier.

In this clip of the cartoon Pinky and the Brain, you’ll see tongue twisters in action and an excellent demonstration of alliteration (the repetition of usually initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllables*) which is a typical component of some of the toughest tongue twisters.

So, here’s your challenge language learner:

Transcribe the video. The first non-native English speaker, and the first native English speaker to submit a transcript of this 1:40 minute video to blog@livemocha.com will receive a one month, Gold Key all-access pass to Livemocha (a $10 value). (See below for details.)

OK… Get your listening ears on. Go!

Details of the challenge:

Transcribe the script of the video above to the best of your abilities (we’re not looking for perfection) and submit it to blog@livemocha.com by this Friday, October 12th. Two 1-month Gold Keys will be awarded; one for a native English speaker, and one for a non-native English speaker. Eligible participants must be a Livemocha member, whether old or new (Sign up today!). The first native English speaking, and the first non-native English speaking member to submit their transcript will receive a one month, all-access Gold Key to your Livemocha account. (a $10 value.) This challenge will end on Friday, October 12, 2012.

Easy, right? Well… maybe for some. Anyhow, have fun and good luck!

*Resource: Merriam-webster.com

UPDATE

WELL DONE everyone who took the challenge of transcribing the tongue twister to last week’s challenge. Some of you, I suspect, found the transcription that was linked to the YouTube video (cheeky monkeys! I was hoping you wouldn’t find that…) but some of you really did bend your brains around figuring out what was being said in the video. Our winners have been granted their 1-month Gold Key. Congratulations!! Keep your eyes peeled for more challenges and Brain Benders to come!

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7 Comments [Show]

Alyssa

Could we have the lyrics? It might be helpful in translating it…
Daisy

Are we supposed to give our answer right here in this space?
Thanks
Daisy

Hi, This was a fun one but tough! I enjoyed it! Thanks!
———-
I am honored by your visit Let me show you our assembly line.
First, sheets of sheer synthetic sheep skin are slit into several kicky sac shoe shapes and shaped into shoe sizes by 6 sitting sheet slitters.
I only see 5 sitting sheet slitters.
The 6th sitting sheet slitter is sick. His son sammy southing tildy 6 sixth sitting sheet slitter back sitting pretty.
You’re not the sheet slitter?
No, I ‘m the sheet slitter’s son.
Well, you keep on slitting sheets until the sheet slitter comes. hooo hahhaha
The shoe shaper then shapes these slit synthetic sheep skin sheets and shoots out shoes through the shute.
Now this is Mr Plunkit, the new captain sock plucker. I had to fire our previous sock plucker. He had a bit of an attitude. So you sacked the cocky cacky kicky sac sock plucker? The second cocky cacky kicky sac sock plucker I sacked since the 6th sitting sheet slitter got sick.
Whoops! don’t worry, just an electrical problem. One of the kicky sac sack pluckers will have to flip the plug.
Not the cacky soc plucker?
Oh my no! The kicky sac pickers flipped the plug. The cacky soc plucker can’t reach the socket over the latex parambulator fenders we use to line the tread mill.
It might make more sense to have the 6th sick sitting sheet slitters son flick the plug, if the sack pickers and the soc pluckers are behind the rubber baby buggy bumpers. I never thought of that!
Now Pinky, here is the plan. Remember every step must be performed with precision. You must slit the 6th sick sitting sheet slitters son’s sheet, secure it next to the toy boat from the hack en sac’s sockos kicky sac’s sac kickers picnic in sacacas. Stretch it past the sack pickers station and the sock plucker’s shute and pick a sac, pluck a sock and flip the plug, so I can put the pea in the plug sock with the pick sack for ballast and bounce it off the rubber baby buggy bumper into the parker packered purple puter pressure pump. Is that understood?
- Daisy
  
  I forgot to add that I am a non native English speaker. Thank you!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1519478208 Aisha Mya Tynan

I am a native english speaker, heres my attempt!:

I am honoured by your visit! First! Let me show you our assembly line. First sheets of sheer synthetic sheep skin are slit into several kicky sack shoe shapes and shapely shoe sizes by six sitting sheet slitters. I only see five sitting sheet slitters. The sixth sitting sheet slitters sick. His son sammy subbing till the sixth sitting sheet slitters back, sitting pretty. You’re not the sheep slitter? Nope, I’m the sheet slitters son. Welllll you keep on slitting sheets untill the sheet slitter comes! Ha ha ha! Woah!
The shoe shaper then shapes the slit synthetic sheep skin sheets and shoots out shoes by the chute.
Now this is Mr. Plunket the new kicky sock plucker, I had to hire our previous sock plucker, had a bit of an attitude. So you sacked the cocky kacky kicky sock plucker? The second cocky kacky kicky sack sock plucker I sacked since the sick sitting sheet slitter got sick. Whoops don’t worry just an electrical problem! One of the kicky sack sack pickers will have to flip the plug.Not the kacky sock plucker? Oh MY no!
The kicky sack picker flips the plug. The kacki sock plucker cant reach the socket over the latex parambulator fenders we use to line the tread mill. It might make more sense to have the sixth sick sitting sheet slitters son flip the plug. the sack pickers and the sock pluckers are behind the rubber baby buggy bumpers. I never thought of that!
Now pinky! Here is the plan! Remember every step must be preformed with precision.
You must slit the 6th sick sheet slitters son’s sheet, secure it
next to the toy boat from the hack en sac’s sockos kicky sac’s sac
kickers picnic in sacacas. Stretch it past the sack pickers station and
the sock plucker’s shute and pick a sac, pluck a sock and flip the
plug, so I can put the pea in the plug sock with the pick sack for
ballast and bounce it off the rubber baby buggy bumper into the parker
packered purple puter pressure pump. Is that understood?
Sunil

Who is the winner of the gold key ???The native speaker has copied exactly what the non native speaker has written! Everything is the same except the word-- chute. The last para is ditto the same. It’s obvious because even the spelling mistakes in the last paragraph is the same (e.g shute). The non native speaker’s answer is deserving a prize! and he/she has posted many days ago.
Alexey

Ваш визит для меня большая честь , позвольте показать вам нашу сборочную линию . Во -- первых , листы из чистой синтетической кожи овцы в нескольких Кики мешках в форме обуви , и размеров форм обуви , 6 сидячих мест для продольной резки .
Я вижу только 5 сидячих занятых мест , для продольной резки листа . Шестой сидячий для продольной резки листа болен . Его сын Сэмми с юга , из Тилди , на шестом cядячем месте для продольной резки листа . Ты не для резки листа ?
Нет , я сын рабочего для продольной резки листа . Ну, вы продолжаете сидеть когда проходит лист до листа резки . Хооо Хаххаха .
Обувь формируется, затем формируются эти щели в листах синтетической овечьей шкуры и постреливается в обуви через парашют .
Теперь этот г-н Плюнкит новый капитан плюккеровых носков . Я был вынужден уволить нашего предыдущего производителя плюккеровых носков . Он был без серьёзного отношения . Таким образом вы уволили дерзкого капитана Каки Кики мешков плюккеровых носков ? Второе, уволил дерзкого капитана Каки Кики мешков плюккеровых носков , 6-ой в сидячих для резки листа заболел .
Уппсс ! Не волнуйтесь , просто проблемы в электрике . Одному из сборщиков Кики мешков придётся перевернуть вилку . Не капитан Каки плюккеровых носков ?
Ох, нет ! Кики сборщик мешков перевернёт вилку . Каки плюккеровых носков не могут добраться до гнезда на латекс крыльях парамбулатор , мы используем их чтобы выровнять протекторы мельницы . Это может сделать сын больного 6-го перевернуть вилку и соц сборщики находятся за резиновыми бамперами из детской коляски . Я никогда не думал об этом . Теперь Пинки , вот план . Помни, что каждый шаг должен быть выполнен с высокой точностью . Ты должен перерезать лист сидячего 6-го больного, его сына , закрепить его рядом с игрушкой лодки от взлома на мешок , мешок в sockos kicky kickers picnic in sacacas . Растянуть его мимо станции сборщиков мешков и парашют sock Плюккера забрать мешок , вырвать sock повернуть вилку , чтобы я мог положить горох в пробки sock c выбором sack для балласта и отказов его с ошибками rubber baby baggy bumper into the parker packered purple puter pressure pump . Это понятно?

The Conversation A blog from Livemocha

Tongue Twister Challenge – win a 1-month Gold Key!

So, here’s your challenge language learner:

OK… Get your listening ears on. Go!

Details of the challenge:

UPDATE

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