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Improve your pronunciation and become a pro: Common errors and tips to improve your speaking skills 😉

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Improve your pronunciation and become a pro: Common errors and tips to improve your speaking skills 😉

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Students:

Fabiola Alejandra Palacios Hernandez - 20221004110

Bianca Dayana Lobo Nolasco - 20221001908

Miriam Sofía Gabarrete Mejia - 20221003504

Nancy Yamileth Estrada Cruz - 20211001045

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Identifying and Correcting English Pronunciation Errors in Spanish Speakers

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Identifying and Correcting English Pronunciation Errors in Spanish Speakers

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Error Analysis is an approach to analyzing learners’ errors in order to understand what types of errors learners make and at what stage of learning a language learners make particular types of errors. Error Analysis arose out of the inadequacies of Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis in accounting for learners’ errors. Unlike Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis, which attributes errors to L1 transfer, error analysis is descriptive and does not attribute causes for language errors solely to learners’ L1 . There are numerous other factors that can cause learners to produce incorrect language. The target language itself, for example, can be a source of students’ errors. Examples of these intra-lingual errors include “I cannot to go” and “They were go yesterday”.

Although error analysis does not explain why learners make the errors they do, it is important as it helps us understand what the common errors students make are and the stages at which they acquire certain syntactic structures. Therefore, teachers should not unreasonably expect their students to acquire something they are not ready for. Additionally, based on an understanding of error analysis, they can tweak their teaching to suit the level at which the students are at.

Focussing on the importance of corrective feedback to help students sound intelligible, here are some suggestions or strategies that could help learners of L2 to have a proper and correct pronunciation of the language:

1. Recast: The learner makes a mistake, and the teacher recasts it into the correct form, hoping the learner will notice and copy it.

Ex:

Student: It’s a comforTAble couch.
Teacher: A COMfortable couch.
Student: Yeah, a COMfortable couch.
Teacher: Yes, good.

2. Gestures: the learner makes a mistake and the teacher uses gestures to indicate what is wrong.

Ex:

‘Student uses an inappropriate intonation pattern

Teacher repeats the utterance, while indicating the direction of the voice by waving their arm’.

3. ‘de DA de de’: the student misplaces stress and the teacher uses a rhythmic stress pattern to enhance the student’s perception.

Ex:

Student: He’s a PHOtographer.
Teacher: de DA de de (or na NA na na, la La la la, etc.)
Student: PhoTOgrapher?
Teacher: Yes, good.

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In English we have many different sounds, and it can be confusing. One of the most common error in pronunciation is the sound of "th" sound, this sound is represented by the phonemes /θ/ (as in "things") and /ð/ (as in "that"), and for many non-native speakers this can be a huge challenge, For example, people who have Spanish as their native language find it difficult to pronounce the number "three", we often hear them pronounce "tree" instead of "three", this is because "th" sound is not a sound that exists in the Spanish language. Since this sound does not exist in some languages, many recommend "replacing" this sound with some similar sounds. This to facilitate the production of sound.

The "th" sound has two differents ways to pronounce.

The first way is the sound /θ/, this sound is like the /z/ sound in Spanish. We have to find this sound in the words "thought", "think" and "three". This sound is produced by placing the tip of the tongue against the upper teeth and forcing air through. It is also voiceless sounds, that's it, we do not have to use our vocal cords (no vibration).

The second way is the sound /ð/, this sound is almost similar to the sound /d/. We have to find this sound in the words "though", "these" and "mother". This sound is produced in the same way as the first, the only difference is that in this sound we will use the vocal cords, so this sound is voiced sound (vibration).

Don't worry if you don't understand yet, here is a video with examples of these two ways of pronouncing "th".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f74GArsWis

This sound is a little bit complicated, this is because many learners of English mispronounce the sound or do not know when the sound is voiced and when the sound is voiceless. But, this very common error has a solution, so do not be discouraged, on the contrary, be encouraged to continue reading to discover what you should do to improve your pronunciation and solve this problem.

Tips to enhace the pronunciation of th sound /θ/ and /ð/:

1. Learn how to position your tongue and manage airflow to correctly produce sound.

2. Listen, imitate and memorize through videos how words that have the "th" (/θ/ and /ð/) sound are pronounced. You can use a mirror to better visualize how you are producing the sound.

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Instructions:

1. Watch and listen carefully the following videos and try to imitate the /θ/ and /ð/ sound of the words. Remember the /θ/ sound is voiceless (no vibration) and /ð/ sound is voiced (vibration).

Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25HeM_ppYDk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv1npxE0Vq0

2. Then when you feel confident that you are pronouncing correctly, record yourself reading the following words or sentences.

3. Compare your audio with the videos. You can repeat this exercise until you feel you have mastered the /θ/ and /ð/ sound.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Words with /θ/ sound:

1. Think

2. Three

3. Birthday

4. Thursday

5. No thank you for you.

Words with /ð/ sound:

1. That

2. Mother

3. Those

4. In the end.

5. Their boxes.

Don't give up! You can do it!

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Instructions:

1. Now, without using any video, try to pronounce the following phrases out loud, also try to identify when we use /θ/ sound and /ð/ sound.

2. On a piece of paper write which words you have pronounced with the sound /θ/ and which words you have pronounced with the sound /ð/.

3. Use the following link to check if you have pronounced the words correctly.

https://myefe.com/transcription-pronunciation

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Sentences with /ð/ and /θ/ sound:

1. I think it is my father's birthday.

2. My brother said that in the South Korea the weather is cold.

3. There is something in your dog's mouth.

4. This thing is thinner than that thing.

5. They live in the third house on the left.

6. The thunderstorm lasted through the night.

7. Those three boys will be there this Thursday, Octobber ninth.

8. Both of them enjoyed the thrilling movie.

9. Their boxes should be in the theater.

10. Thirty-three thieves took the treasure.

If you have overcome this great challenge, I invite you to continue practicing until you become a master of /ð/ and /θ/ sound.

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English has a complex system of word stress, where the placement of stress can change the meaning of a word (e.g., 'record as a noun vs. re'cord as a verb). Stress in English is not always predictable and can fall on any syllable within a word. Stress patterns often depend on the word’s origin, its suffixes, prefixes, and its role in a sentence (e.g., noun vs. verb).

For example, in English, the word "record" can be stressed differently depending on its use:

Noun: 'record (/ˈrɛkərd/)

Verb: re'cord (/rɪˈkɔrd/)

These errors usually happen because Spanish speakers might apply the familiar and predictable Spanish stress patterns when speaking English. This can lead to misplaced stress in English words, which can cause misunderstandings or make the speech sound non-native.

The predictable nature of Spanish stress patterns becomes a habit for native Spanish speakers, and when they learn English, they might default to these familiar patterns instead of the less predictable English stress rules.

5 rules might help you understand it easier and simpler:

1. With most nouns and adjectives with 2 syllables, the stress is on the first syllable.

2. With most verbs with 2 syllables, the stress is on the last syllable.

3. The words ending in -TION -SION -CIAN are usually stressed on the last second syllable.

4. Words ending in -IC are usually stressed on the last second syllable.

5. Words ending in -EE or -OO are usually stressed on the last syllable.

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Word Stress in English | How to Pronounce... ✅

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To get the best practice I recommend the following page, and have fun testing your knowledge!

https://www.wordstress.info/exercise/

Exercise #1:

Where is the stress in each of these words? Decide which syllable.

Example: comPUter - 2nd syllable.

*As a recommendation, read the words aloud. *

1. reception

1st

2nd

3rd

2. comparison

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

3. potato

1st

2nd

3rd

4. bedroom

1st

2nd

5. fourteen

1st

2nd

6. forty

1st

2nd

7. delicious

1st

2nd

3rd

8. playful

1st

2nd

9. desert

1st

2nd

10. adult

1st

2nd

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You should watch this video, it might be useful for you:

https://youtu.be/jQ90E0g3JXE?si=Aemy1I_MCBLfQOoo

Exercise #2: Sentence Practice

Practice saying the following sentences, paying attention to the word stress in the bolded words.

1. She will present the present to the team.

2. Can you record the meeting on the record?

3. I need your advice on how to advise the new students.

4. The export business is thriving, but we need to export more goods.

5. The project is due soon; we need to project the timeline accurately.

6. This is a complex process, so we need to carefully process the information.

7. The company’s contract states that they will contract new employees annually.

8. They will permit the construction only if the permit is approved.

9. We will produce more items once we receive the fresh produce.

10. The conduct of the team was exemplary, and they will conduct the meeting.

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The “sh” and “ch” sounds are two sounds commonly confused by some English learners. It is important to remember that both these sounds are unvoiced. Also, be aware that the tongue should not be visible at any time, the jaw is nearly closed, and the lips are relatively close to each other when producing both the “sh” and “ch” sounds.

The SH sound doesn’t exist in Spanish, so it can take some getting used to for Spanish speakers! One potential mistake is saying SH as S (“she” becomes “see”), which happens when you don’t draw your tongue back.

It can also be mispronounced as CH (“che” instead of “she”), especially since the CH sound is present in Spanish.

To create /ʃ/, the “sh” sound, you want to force air between center of the front of the tongue and the back of the tooth ridge. The sides of the blade of the tongue can touch the side teeth, but this is not necessary. Finally, you want to keep the lips slightly tense and forward a little to produce the sound.

If the /ʃ/ sound is hard for you to make, start by making an /s/ sound, as in see. Next, continue making that sound while you move your lips from that position into a tiny circle, almost like a kiss. This should create a sh sound naturally.

And how to make the "ch" sound?

This is how you can create this sound: from the /ʤ/ position, release the stopped air through your teeth in an explosive way. In other words, it is similar to when you make the t sound, but your tongue is slightly further back on the top tooth ridge. Next, your tongue quickly moves downwards while you make the remaining /ʃ/ or the “sh” sound. If you put these two steps together, you will make a /ʧ/ sound.

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Phonics Chant┃ch · sh ∥ Double Letter Consonants┃Spotlight on One Phonics

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✔️ Watch the video and practice pronouncing the following pairs of words. Try to identify and distinguish the different beginning sounds:

/ʃ/ /ʧ/

1. Share      chair

2. Sheet    cheat

3. She’s        cheese

4. Shin        chin

5. Ship        chip

6. Sheep      cheap

7. Shoe        chew

8. Shop        chop

9. Shore      chore

10. Shooed    chewed

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✔️ Read and then listen the following dialogue. Identify the words containing the sound /ch/ and the words containing the sound /sh/.

Practice saying aloud the words and pronouncing them correctly.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

▹ Richard: Do you have any change for the washing machine? My wife, Sharon, is visiting her parents in Michigan. I’m watching the children and doing the chores.

◦ Tom: Watch out! Don’t put bleach on those shirts. You’ll wash out the color.

▹ Richard: Will you teach me how to wash clothes?

◦ Tom: Be sure to wash white shirts separately. Don’t use too much soap.

▹ Richard: I wish Sharon would return. It’s more natural for a woman to wash and shop.

◦ Tom: You sound like a chauvinist! I don’t mind doing chores. I’m great in the kitchen, too!

▹ Richard: Would you like to take charge? I’ll cheerfully pay you cash.

◦ Tom: Listen, old chap, I’m a bachelor and too old to chase after children. I’m in a rush. It’s been nice chatting with you, Richard.

▹ Richard: Sure, nice chatting with you, too, Tom.

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Error #4: Adding an -e at the beginning of certain words

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Error #4: Adding an -e at the beginning of certain words

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Adding an -e suffix at the beginning of certain words is a commonly made mistake by native Spanish speakers. This phenomenon is due to the historical development that occurred in the Spanish language.

In Latin, must of the words that started with an -s were followed by a consonant (sp, st, sc). When pronouncing these words, they usually added an -e at the beginning to make them easier to say. When these Latin words became part of Spanish, they kept that -e at the front. For instance: “Spania” became “España”, “Stephanus” became “Esteban”.

This mistake is often made because when learning a new language, we normally transfer certain patterns from our native language. In Spanish, words typically do not begin with an "s" sound followed by another consonant, whereas in English, this cluster is very common. For example: “school” becomes “eschool”, “star” becomes “estar”, “special” becomes “especial”.

Below are some exercises to help internalize the proper English sounds.

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Speak-Along: Tongue Twisters for Perfect Pronunciation

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-Read the text aloud once, using a stopwatch to measure how long it takes you to finish. This will be your reference time.

-After that, read the text again, trying to reduce the time without sacrificing clarity and comprehension. Note the time each time you finish a reading.

-Repeat the process several times, each time trying to improve your previous time. Focus on reading smoothly and clearly.

1. Stephanus swiftly scoots, skipping smoothly to Spain, spotting splendid sunrises and serene scenes along the way.

2. Spain's stars sparkle spectacularly, said Stephen, sitting silently by the seaside, savoring the salty sea breeze.

3. Stephen’s strategy for stopping sneaky squirrels succeeded splendidly, sending scampering squirrels scurrying swiftly into silent shadows.

4. Spain’s splendidly scenic spots sparked Stephen's spontaneous sprints, sprinting speedily through sunlit streets and shadowy squares.

5. Stephen skillfully sculpted statues standing starkly in Spain’s sunny streets, showing superbly sculpted scenes of serene Spanish life.

6. Spain's stunning spring season swiftly startled Stephen’s sprightly spirits, sending shivers through his spine as he strolled through sparkling streams and sunny slopes.

7. Stephen’s spontaneous storytelling sessions in Spain showcased stunning surprises, spinning spectacular sagas of Spain's scenic splendors and serene sunsets.

8. Spain’s splendid springtime spectacle struck Stephen as a superb seasonal sight, with splendidly synchronized starling swarms swooping and swirling in the sparkling sky.

9. Stephen strategically studied Spain’s splendidly scattered scenic spots, stating it’s spectacular while standing stoically in the serene Spanish sunshine, soaking in the sights.

10. Stephen’s skillful scouting in Spain's stunning springtime scenery showcased splendidly synchronized starling swarms, sparking spontaneous applause from spectators, who stood silently, savoring the serene and splendid Spanish springtime spectacle.

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S-Cluster Superstar: Mastering Consonant Combos

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-Repeat each word multiple times, focusing on the initial "s" sound without adding an "e" sound.

-Record yourself saying these drills and play them back to check for correct pronunciation.

1. ST

-Step, stop, star, stick, storm, stand, stone, steam, stare, still.

2. SP

- Spin, spot, sport, speak, spell, space, spare, spike, spill, spoon.

3. SK

- Skate, skill, sky, skip, skull, scale, skirt, sketch, scoop, skid.

4. SL

- Slip, slide, slow, sleep, slim, slam, slot, slice, slant, slap.

5. SM

- Smile, smart, smell, small, smoke, smooth, smack, smear, smirk, smog.

6. SN

- Snap, snow, snore, snake, sneak, sniff, snip, snub, snout, snarl.

7. SW

- Swim, sweep, swing, sweet, swift, swan, swarm, swat, swill, swoop.

8. SC

- Scale, scare, scoop, scorn, scout, scuff, scold, scram, scrub, script.

9. SH

- Shed, shell, ship, short, shout, shine, shake, shock, sharp, shore.

10. Mixed

- String, screen, sprout, splash, strip, scrape, scrub, splendid, strut, sprint.

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From this experience, I have learned the importance of integrating a variety of exercises that address different aspects of pronunciation. For example, coral repetition and recording reproduction not only reinforce the correct pronunciation but also allow students to self-assess and make adjustments. In addition, the exercises that focus on the stress of prayers and intonation patterns are crucial to help students sound more natural and fluid. This multifaceted approach ensures that students correct individual sounds and improve their general speech patterns.

As a student, I plan to apply the knowledge gained from this experience by being more mindful of my own pronunciation when speaking English. I will actively seek feedback from peers and instructors to help me identify and correct any errors I may be making. As a future teacher, I will incorporate the strategies discussed in the blog to design engaging and effective pronunciation activities for my students. By focusing on individualized feedback and practice opportunities, I aim to create a supportive learning environment where students can feel confident and motivated to improve their pronunciation skills.

By: Fabiola Palacios

Pronunciation is a common topic that is often discussed among people who are learning English, as it is an important aspect when communicating. These types of activities have helped me a lot to identify errors and reflect on the solutions I can find to improve those small errors and turn them into big improvements. What I learned from all this activity was to reinforce those small mistakes that we often make without realizing it, and this is very important because I will no longer carry the same mistakes with my future students. I plan to use everything I have learned from both our blog and other blogs, take notes on the most common mistakes and put into practice all the tips and solutions I learn from each blog. As a future teacher I plan to use blogging as a resource for a class and dedicate that class to helping my students hone and improve their speaking skills.

What I learned in the process of choosing a common mistake is that Spanish speakers often make mistakes in pronunciation because they associate Spanish a lot with English, or many times they cannot separate their native language from the language they are learning, and even more so when Spanish is a language that is pronounced just as it is written, but English is an unpredictable language, with many sound variations, which often makes learning difficult for Spanish speakers.

What I liked about this project was looking for resources to help the reader (I felt useful hahaha) and using multimedia that captivated the reader.

What was difficult for me was designing the exercises. I had thought about some exercises but when I saw that my classmates had already implemented them in their sections, I had to use my brain more to place other exercises that were useful and not so complex.

By: Nancy Estrada

Learning and understanding a new language can be a challenge for some people. Pronunciation is a key term in language learning and acquisition of it, and it's important to remember its importance for a better and successful communication. As non-native speakers we tend to make mistakes while we're learning a language, and that's part of learning as well. I have learned a lot about designing and developing this project, because through researching and reading a lot, now I understand the reasons behind some mistakes that as spanish speakers we make referring to pronunciation.

Something that caught my attention is the amount of pronunciation errors that we make without noticing. And that's something that also happens to me sometimes. The experience of doing this blog has helped me to improve and correct those errors for future events and also, as a future teacher. And I plan to apply all the knowledge acquired from this blog for a personal achievement.

All the information and exercises on this blog, are oriented to develop your pronunciation skills, in order to improve the speaking abilities of L2 learners. At first, it was a little difficult to think about what information or exercises would be very helpful, but then the work was easy to do. Some exercises like watching a video and then repeating the words correctly, or identify the words with the correspondent sound, were helpful for practicing pronunciation. And the most important thing that I learned from this experience, is that no matter how difficult something seems to be, don't give up and always remember that everything is up to you and becoming a professional in something takes time.

By Sofia Gabarrete

Learning a new language always comes with challenges, and this activity helped me understand why I made certain mistakes. Realizing that we transfer a lot from our mother tongue makes a lot of sense, and having exercises on hand to practice is very useful as an English learner. Reading my team’s work and my classmates’ work will help me improve my knowledge on the topic.

I’ve learned that identifying errors is crucial to teaching a language. Having a critical ear is a skill that all teachers must develop to help students improve. This experience was fulfilling because I know I will encounter students who make the same mistakes I did. Knowing the reasons behind these mistakes and ways to correct them will help me guide my students towards achieving intelligibility.

I faced some difficulties while doing this project. One challenge was distinguishing between errors caused by native language interference and pronunciation difficulties unrelated to Spanish. This required investigating reliable sources to understand the real reasons behind each mistake. Additionally, finding existing exercises for different types of errors was difficult, which led to the necessity of creating customized drills. Overall, this project taught me the importance of practice in overcoming pronunciation challenges.

By Bianca Lobo

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Blogger, P. (2021, June 20). How should we correct pronunciation mistakes? https://pronsig.iatefl.org/correct-pronunciation-mistakes/

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How did the “th” sound in English develop, and why is it so hard for most non-native speakers to pronounce? (n.d.). Quora. Retrieved July 28, 2024, from https://www.quora.com/How-did-the-th-sound-in-English-develop-and-why-is-it-so-hard-for-most-non-native-speakers-to-pronounce

Kids vs Life [@Kidsvslife]. (2016, May 10). TH-hard | fun phonics | how to read | made by kids vs phonics. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv1npxE0Vq0

Kids vs Life [@Kidsvslife]. (2016, May 17). Th | fun phonics | how to read | made by kids vs phonics. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25HeM_ppYDk

mmmEnglish [@mmmEnglish_Emma]. (2018, September 27). How to pronounce TH | the ULTIMATE guide for English learners! YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCkONOv2JJM

Odlin, T. (1989). Language transfer: Cross-linguistic influence in language learning. Cambridge University Press.

Ocon, I. (2022, April 13). 10 most common English pronunciation mistakes for Spanish speakers and how to fix them. Parrot. https://blog.parrotlanguages.com/english-pronunciation-for-spanish-speakers/

Pronounce. (2024, March 11). Why is word stress a key to clear American English? getPronounce.com Blog. https://www.getpronounce.com/blog/why-is-word-stress-a-key-to-clear-american-english

Why is word stress important? | Learn English. (n.d.). EnglishClub. https://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/word-stress-why.php

Word stress. (n.d.). TeachingEnglish. https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/professional-development/teachers/knowing-subject/articles/word-stress

Hobbel, S. (2021, April 6). The SH and CH sounds. SpeakUp Resources. https://magoosh.com/english-speaking/the-sh-and-ch-sounds/#:~:text=To%20create%20%2F%CA%83%2F%2C%20the%20%E2%80%9Csh%E2%80%9D%20sound%2C%20you%20want,and%20forward%20a%20little%20to%20produce%20the%20sound.

How did the “th” sound in English develop, and why is it so hard for most non-native speakers to pronounce? (n.d.). Quora. Retrieved July 28, 2024, from https://www.quora.com/How-did-the-th-sound-in-English-develop-and-why-is-it-so-hard-for-most-non-native-speakers-to-pronounce

Kids vs Life [@Kidsvslife]. (2016, May 10). TH-hard | fun phonics | how to read | made by kids vs phonics. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv1npxE0Vq0

Kids vs Life [@Kidsvslife]. (2016, May 17). Th | fun phonics | how to read | made by kids vs phonics. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25HeM_ppYDk

mmmEnglish [@mmmEnglish_Emma]. (2018, September 27). How to pronounce TH | the ULTIMATE guide for English learners! YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCkONOv2JJM

Ocon, I. (2022, April 13). 10 most common English pronunciation mistakes for Spanish speakers and how to fix them. Parrot. https://blog.parrotlanguages.com/english-pronunciation-for-spanish-speakers/

Pronounce. (2024, March 11). Why is word stress a key to clear American English? getPronounce.com Blog. https://www.getpronounce.com/blog/why-is-word-stress-a-key-to-clear-american-english

Why is word stress important? | Learn English. (n.d.). EnglishClub. https://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/word-stress-why.php

Word stress. (n.d.). TeachingEnglish. https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/professional-development/teachers/knowing-subject/articles/word-stress