Do you want to know the mistakes people do when they speak English?

INTRODUCTION

Pronunciation errors in Spanish speakers are varied due to the amount of people that are learning a second language. This happened when L1 speakers make relation between their tongue language and the new one (L2). To develop this interesting analysis is important to define some terms in order to comprehend. An error refering to pronunciation, refers to a form of learner language that is incorrect, in comparison with tongue language speakers. Nevertheless, error analysis is a technique used to document the errors that appear in learner language. The function of this method is to determinate the systematic errors and the causes of it. Native speakers of the target language notice the errors of the second language learners that are more and common, however native speakers make less errors in the language in comparison of the second language learners. 

Language learning as everything in life, is difficult and we tend to fail. In the past, teachers viewed errors as something undesirable. On the other hand, during the past fifteen centuries everything change and some researchers view errors as evidence for a creative process in learning language in which learners employ methods and strategies in learning a second language. There three types of pronunciation errors, the first one is called pre-systematic errors, the second is the systematic error and the last one post-systematic error. 

There are many ways that as students we can try to fix pronunciation errors by practice, but also are effective techniques that teachers can used to correct pronunciation in students. Teaching is not easy and it takes lot of dedication and creativity. Some of the most famous techniques that teacher use are: echoing, hinting or cues, non verbal way or silence, making notes to future generations, etc. Those methods are useful in learning a second language and make learning dynamic. Teachers are drivers for our personal and proffesional growth.

 

English Pronunciation errors made by Spanish native speakers

1. Pronouncing the ''th''

The th is one of the most complicated combination of consonant sounds, due to the fact that it has three different ways to pronounce. Th can sound as a ''d'' that in the phonemic chart the sound is represented by this symbol (/ð/) for example, the words those, there, that, they, etc. Besides, th can sound voiceless /θ/ like in the words Thor, thunder, three, think, etc. In addition, there is a sound of a normal t /t/ for example,  in the words Thailand, Thomas, thyme.

Why is this an error made by Spanish native speakers?

Simple, because in Spanish there is not a sound for the th, in other words th in Spanish vocubulary does not exist.

Time to practice!

Exercise 1:

Instructions: To practice what we just learned, here is the following exercise where you must complete the sentences by filling in the blank with the words in the chart, and highlight the correct th sound. 

things	that	three	through	theater
thousand	Thailand	the	these	thought

Example exercise:  I ___think____ that you are an amazing teacher.  (d) (voiceless t) (t)

1. I have loved you for a  _________  years.  (d) (voiceless t) (t)

2. Yesterday I went to the bakery and the baker told me___________ he was sick.  (d) (voiceless t) (t)

3. I really want to go to the____________ with you, tonight! (d) (voiceless t) (t)

4. My best friend Daria travelled to _____________ last week.  (d) (voiceless t) (t)

5. There are___________ types of pronunciation errors.  (d) (voiceless t) (t)

6. I really love the little_________ of life.  (d) (voiceless t) (t)

7. I  never____________ that you would betrayed me!  (d) (voiceless t) (t)

8. Mary was fighting__________ pencils yesterday.  (d) (voiceless t) (t)

9. ________ French Revolution began in 1789.  (d) (voiceless t) (t)

10. I was looking at you ___________ the window.  (d) (voiceless t) (t)

Exercise 2:  Tongue twister time!

Intructions: Look at the following tongue twisters, try to pronounce quickly, record an audio saying the tongue twisters one by one, then identify the th sound words and tell whether the word have a d, voiceless t or a t sound. 

Example exercise: The thinner thumb throw the ball. 

The (d)  thinner (voiceless t)  thumb (voiceless t)  throw (voiceless t)  the (d)

1. Million thinkers where thinking in the thunder that Tom thought.

2. Thousand people think that Thursday is their thirty aniversary. 

3. She thought a thought, but she realized that the thought she thought was not the real thought.

4. Three little tigers were looking the thunder through the window. 

5. Thalia thanked that Therence thought that she was not thinking in Thomas.

6. They threw three balls.

7. The theater present the thumbs show that nobody thought.

8. The thinner therapist looked through the thickest glass.

9. The thirteen thieves was thinking in thanksgiving. 

10. The theory of the thousand thermostat was thirsty.

2. Pronouncing silent consonants

Most of the Spanish native speakers tend to pronounce the silent consonants that exist in English. It is normal because they are not familiar with the language and they pronounce every sound that they see. For example they pronounce the s in island, the b in debt an so on. There are two ways to correct those errors, the first one is that we must look for the pronunciation, try to omit the silent letter and write it down, and the second one is to learn the pronunciation by heart.

Let's practice what we learned!

Exercise 1:

Instructions: Match the words with the correct definition, then, identify and highlight the silent consonant in each word.

Example exercise: 

- Feign ---------- To give a false appearance of.

1. Climb                                     a) A body tissue consisting of long cells that contracts producing motion

2. Fascinate                                b) A perfume liquid.

3. Cologne                                 c) A structure carrying a roadway over a depression.

4. Sandwich                               d) A sequence of events.

5. Succumb                                e) To command the interest of.

6. Design                                    f) The short thick of the human hand.

7.Muscle                                     g) Two slices of bread covered with food.

8. Thumb                                    h) To go upward with gradual progress.

9. Bridge                                     i) To create or conceive a plan.

10. Scenario                                j) To yield to superior strength 

Exercise 2: 

Instructions: Unscramble the following words that contains a silent consonat in the correct way, and then write the silent consonant you found.

Example exercise: 

-syhocphtareyp: ___pysochotherapy__ (silent p)

1. hoacs __________

2. ourh___________

3. gstho____________

4.itewh____________

5.nkee_____________

6. nowkegeld_____________

7. ouldw______________

8. lumnco_____________

9. tlesac____________

10. gutteabe____________

3. Pronouncing the stress on derived words.

One of the things that many Spanish speakers do not know when they learn English is that in English we have words that can function as both a verb and a noun, these words are written in the same way, but depending on their function their pronunciation changes since you have to change the position of the stress in the word. When a word works as a noun you need to stress the first syllable, but when this word works as a verb you need to stress the final syllable. 

Let's see the following examples:

1. He has the world record of 98 goals in this tournament. (as a noun)

    He asked me to record a video speaking English for 30 minutes. (as a verb)

2. My parents gave me a new car as a present.

    The teacher will present the awards to the outstanding students.

Time to practice!

Exercise 1:

Instruccions:  Identify if the following words are working as a noun or as a verb writing a "v" if it is a verb and a "n" if it is a noun, then highlight the stress syllable and read the complete sentence in front of the class. 

1. Suspect	2. Increase	3. Import	4. Object	5. Desert
6. Contest	7. Record	8. Address	9.  Progress	10. Combat

1. I suspect that he is the murderer. (v)

2. There has been a significant increase in the number of girls getting pregnant before their 15th birthday.

3. They import a large number of cell phones from the USA. 

4. Its object is to identify which are the main causes of poverty in Honduras.

5. Many people who travel illegally to the United States die in the desert.

6. He won the contest for best poem.

7. My brothers always record a lot of videos when they go on a trip.

8. The teacher was asked to give a formal address at the ceremony.

9. The progress of education in Honduras depends on everyone.

10. It is necessary to combat crime for there to be peace in the country.

Exercise 2:

Instructions: Work in pairs and take turns reading one sentence each, while listening to your partner decide if the word indicated is working as a verb or a noun, taking into consideration which syllable is stressed in the word.

1. I suspect that the suspect we have is innocent.

2. What is your email address?

3. People protest because there is no work in the country.

4. Does anyone object to this decision?

5. How did I get into this conflict?

6. I get angry when someone insults my mother.

7. I am very happy when I see my friends progress in life.

8. I will give mi brother a present for getting high grades.

9. Your future depends on the way you conduct your life.

10. He was a rebel against the past government.

 

4. Identify the pronunciation of the sounds /b/ and /v/ in English

  Why this error occurs?

Spanish speakers have the habit of hearing the same sounds the letters /b/ and /v/ because they sound the same in our language but in English, it is different, each letter has its sound, and it is confusing to identify its sounds. Therefore and easy way to make the /b/ sound is to completely block the air with both lips and then release it. Insead, with letter /v/ you squezee the air between the upper teeth and the lower lip.

Exercise #1

Watch the following video and practice the /v/ and /b/ sounds.

https://youtu.be/fNTyFsM0fE4

Exercise #2 

After watching the video, practice the sounds /b/ and /v/, with a friend or in front of a mirror, practice the following tongue twisters.

 1. Betty Botter bought some butter

but she said the butter´s bitter

If I put in my batter, it will make my batter bitter

but a bit of better butter will make my batter better

So´twas better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter.

2. Blue blurry vines blind

Betty loves the velvet vest best

Barber baby bubbles and a bumblebee

Burnt base, vicious vase

Vivacious Val vacuumed Violet's very vivid vehicle.

Exercise #3

Watch the following video and then practice the sounds /b/ and /v/ in the following table of words. Pronounce as many time as possible.

 https://youtu.be/sj27JBMRzZM 

/b/	/v/
bane	vein
bat	vat
beer	veer
berry	very
best	vest
bile	vile
boat	vote
bolt	volt
bowels	vowels
bowl	volw

CONCLUSIONS

1. To conclude, it is important to recognize that pronunciation errors in English are not a reflection of one's intelligence our language abilities. Instead, they are natural and expected part of the language learning process. It is also important to remeber that effective communication in English is not solely dependent on perfect pronunciation, but also te ability to convey ideas and meaning through context, grammar and vocabulary.

Therefore, while it is important to work on improving English pronunciation, non-native speakers should not feel discourage or ashamed by their pronunciation errors. Instead, they should focus on developing their iverall language skills and communication strategies, withouth neglecting to try to pronounce the context correctly. With persistance and dedication, non-english speakers can overcome ponunciation challenges and achieve succes in both, their personal and professional lives.

Cristie Lopez Ochoa

2. Reflecting on the issue of pronunciation erros in English for Spanish speakers, it becomes evident that this is a complex challenging aspect of language learning. I have observed that even those who have been studying English for many years may stillstruggle with certain sounds or intonation patterns. However it is important to recognize that this is a normal part of the learning process, and everyone makes mistakes.

Moreover, when we think the broader issue of language diversity, we realize that thre is not "correct" or "standard" way to speak English. English is spoken with many different accents and dialects, around the world, and this diversity should be celebrated rather than suppressed. Rather tha striving for perfect pronunciation, we should focus on the goal effective communication, where undestanding and being understood arte the ultimate objectives. By reconizing the value of different accents and dialects, we can create a more inclusive and welcoming enviroment for nom-native speakers of English.

In conclusion, while pronunciation errors in English may present challenges for Spanish speakers and other non-native speakers, it is important to approach language learning with a growth mindset, recognizing that mistakes are a natural part of the process. By embracing linguistic diversity and focusing on effective communication and perfect pronunciation, we can create more inclusive and supportive enviroment for language learners. Ultimately, our differences should be celebrated as a rich our shared human experience. 

                                                                                                                  Melany Budde Colindres

3. In conclusion, it is important to point out the great influence that our first language has when learning a new language, since if we can see in the errors mentioned in this project they are errors that lie in how our brain relates some sounds of the language that we already speak with the one we are learning, and this situation tends to confuse at the beginning. 

It is normal for these types of errors to be made at the beginning when we start learning english, and it is a reality that it is not bad to be wrong because it is part of the learning process, the problem is not realizing the mistakes that we make when speaking English, because if we do not realize these mistakes we will never be able to correct them and we will continue making them all our lives. In addition, the importance of having a correct pronunciation lies in being understood at the moment of speak, and this can only be achieved by correcting these errors. 

Franklin Jared Girón Rueda.

References

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Biazon, A. P. (2021, April 5). How should we correct pronunciation mistakes? – PronSIG – Pronunciation Special Interest Group at IATEFL. PronSIG. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from https://pronsig.iatefl.org/correct-pronunciation-mistakes/

The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA). (2021, August 18). The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA). Retrieved March 31, 2023, from https://carla.umn.edu/learnerlanguage/error_analysis.html

Pascual, P. (2022, February 2). 210 Words With Silent Letters - A Comprehensive List. Talaera Blog. Retrieved April 1, 2023, from https://blog.talaera.com/silent-letters-english

Pesce, C. (n.d.). 7 Worst Pronunciation Mistakes ESL Students Make Around the World. BusyTeacher.org. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from https://busyteacher.org/14846-7-worst-pronunciation-mistakes-esl-students-make.html

Pryle, M., & Biondi, L. (2017, August 24). 50 Dynamic Writing Activities for Meeting Higher Standards. MiddleWeb. Retrieved April 1, 2023, from https://www.middleweb.com/35631/50-dynamic-writing-activities-for-all-kids/

SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING ERRORS THEIR TYPES, CAUSES, AND TREATMENT Hanna Y. Touchie Abstract Recent research in applied linguist. (n.d.). JALT Publications. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from https://jalt-publications.org/sites/default/files/pdf-article/art5_8.pdf

35 funny TH sound tongue twisters. (n.d.). ESL Vault. Retrieved April 1, 2023, from https://eslvault.com/th-sound-tongue-twisters/

American Accent: V and B for Native Spanish Speakers. (2017, June 8). YouTube. Retrieved April 2, 2023, from https://youtu.be/nATqHAXjvR0

American English Pronunciation. (n.d.). American English Pronunciation. Retrieved April 2, 2023, from https://www.speechmodification.com/free/american-accent-error-patterns-b-for-v

Home. (n.d.). YouTube. Retrieved April 2, 2023, from https://youtu.be/lgYGeQwO3ug

6 Pronunciation Mistakes Spanish Speakers Make in English (And How To Fix Them). (2020, November 11). Oxford House. Retrieved April 2, 2023, from https://oxfordhousebcn.com/en/6-pronunciation-mistakes-spanish-speakers-make-in-english-and-how-to-fix-them/

 Nouns & Verbs. (n.d.). Tools for Clear Speech. Retrieved April 2, 2023, from https://tfcs.baruch.cuny.edu/nouns-and-verbs/

Pronunciation Practice: Nouns vs. Verbs - Pronunciation Made Easy! (2021, August 20). MC Academy. Retrieved April 2, 2023, from https://themcacademy.co.uk/blog/pronunciation-practice-nouns-vs-verbs/