Pronunciation and Vocabulary

This website, entitled “Spanish audio and transcripts” is useful for students who would like to have more isolated instruction in pronunciation. This page includes a recording of basic sounds (vowels and consonants) and even isolates those unique sounds such as ñ and ll. Instead of offering separate links to click on, this page uses in-page navigation which links the user to the major content headings (subjects) from the top of the webpage. For every subject, the website offers a thorough list of words pertaining to that topic as well as a recording of someone reading each of the words.

In the classroom, the teacher could use the sections labeled “polite expressions” and “giving directions” and have the students get in pairs and create a dialog with one another that utilizes these words and phrases. For example, the teacher could have them role play asking for directions in the street and have them use common, polite language such as “disculpe, le puedo hacer una pregunta?” This site is also a great source of uncommon, yet useful vocabulary. There are lists (for each word, pronunciation is provided) of such topics like crops, plants & animals, health & safety, and tools & equipment.

Here are some more exercises on pronunciation, from Studyspanish.com, which are a good resource for students who would like to practice pronunciation on their own. I particularly like the section about linking, which provides audio recorded examples from two speakers, one from Spain and the other Peru. I think it could be helpful to students to see how in Spanish, two words often flow together so that two words can sound like one. This site has three sections devoting to links, arranged by I. words whose final letter is the same as the following word’s first letter, II. words that end in a vowel followed by words beginning with a vowel or III. words that end in a consonant that are followed by words beginning with a vowel. 

These exercises could serve as the model for a great listening/speaking activity as well. After introducing linking and showing some examples to the class, the teacher could make a list of words (either two together or even whole sentences) that demonstrate linking and have the students work with a partner, reading to one another and pointing out when linking should be occurring. As the students get better at this, the teacher could also have one student read a passage (that incorporates lots of linking) while the other writes what he or she hears and then the students compare what they heard with what was actually said.