TEACHING ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION TO SPANISH SPEAKERS Research Paper

TEACHING ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION TO SPANISH SPEAKERS - Research Paper Example There is no doubt that English speaking requires good amount of understanding of consonants and vowels along with dedication and motivation. The research aims to examine what sorts of difficulties are experienced by Spanish speakers while speaking English and how pronunciation difficulties can be assessed and examined resulting in better pronunciation. Spanish language is a part of Indo-European Language family and is spoken by more than 400 million people across the world mainly in Spain, Latin America and the US. On the other hand, English is spoken in almost every country Ladefoged, 2000). However, when Spanish individuals especially students travel to other countries; they face pronunciation issues while speaking and communication in English. For this purpose, a systematic and logical approach of conducting a research will be taken that will help in investigating pronunciation problems of Spanish students along with identifying ways through which these problems can be assessed re sulting in better pronunciation and understanding of English Language. There is no doubt that incorrect pronunciation leads to little understanding of the meaning of sentences and thus creating confusion and doubts (Ladefoged, 2006). At the same time, conversing requires good understanding of English Language in order to facilitate personal and professional growth in English speaking nations. The next part of the discussion presents theoretical issues related to the research topic. Theoretical Issues Related to the Research Topic In order to investigate how English pronunciation can be taught to Spanish speakers, the researcher will focus on understanding of phonetics, production of speech sounds and difference between English and Spanish speakers by referring to a number of academic books, journals and articles. Jenkins (2002) stated that words are pronounced differently in different countries majorly because of the understanding of vowels and consonants. Coe (1988) stated that the re is a great similarity between English and Spanish language that makes learning motivational and easy. Coe (1988) further believed that both English and Spanish languages have originated from different culture and thus it is quite obvious to have pronunciation differences. Spanish language has only five vowels while English has fourteen vowels. The difference in vowels creates pronunciation issues as Spanish speakers often fail to differentiate between English Vowels. Compernolle (2001) stated that Spanish is syllable times language and English is stress timed language. Spanish speakers face difficulties in recognizing end consonants that create pronunciation issues. Moreover, the verb-grammar agreement is also dissimilar in two languages that often affect the correct pronunciation. Spanish speakers have logical association with the sound and spelling of words that lacks in English language. There are very limited double letters word in Spanish while in English, there are a number of double letter words. All these issues create confusion for Spanish speakers while speaking in English. Avexy, Ehrlich (1992) believed that the role of teeth, jaws, lips and tongue is of great importance considering the fact that correct use of lips, jaws and tongue helps in correct pronunciation of words. For this purpose, it is important to understand the role of phonetics in pronunciation of