ERIC Number: EJ1074600
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Sep
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0015-718X
EISSN: N/A
Creating a Pronunciation Profile of First-Year Spanish Students
Añorga, Angel; Benander, Ruth
Foreign Language Annals, v48 n3 p434-446 Sep 2015
Previous research has shown that improving pronunciation in the foreign language classroom is challenging, and there is often little time left over in a dense curriculum for pronunciation practice. In describing a pronunciation profile for all phonemes in Spanish, this study suggests that the principal challenge for native speakers of English who are learning Spanish may not be vowels, but the /r/ phonemes: the flap, the trill, and the cluster sound /tr/ pose the greatest challenges. Thus, if time is allocated to direct instruction in pronunciation, instructors and learners may focus on the pronunciation of Spanish language /r/ in its three forms, particularly since, when the /r/ phonemes are fronted in Spanish pronunciation, the following vowels are less likely to be pronounced as American English diphthongs. In addition, this study suggests that having students record themselves when reading aloud at multiple points during the course and then analyze and reflect on what they hear may result in pronunciation changes.
Descriptors: Pronunciation, Second Language Learning, Spanish, Phonemes, Vowels, Second Language Instruction, Audio Equipment, Oral Reading
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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