English pronunciation: some issues Spanish speakers experience

As a native Spanish speaker, I'd like to tell you about some of my impressions and views regarding pronunciation issues learners face when they start to study English. Being a teacher of English as a foreign language, I have noticed certain problems most people encounter, which I think are worth mentioning.  I will be referring to issues people experience when they start to learn English in their teens or adulthood.

Spelling is the first obstacle learners find, which makes them fear pronunciation in English. The main reason why this happens is that in Spanish, the written words reflect sounds on a one-to-one basis. This means that each letter in a word corresponds exactly to the sounds we produce in speech. However, this is not the case in English.

I have been asked questions such as: "Why do you write one thing and say another in English?", "Why don't they write words as they pronounce them?" , "Why is English spelling so difficult?", "Spanish is easier, words are written exactly as they are pronounced"; and the list goes on and on.

Another problem I have detected, which is very common, is the fact that many learners find it difficult to "feel" and acquire the rhythm of English. As Spanish is a syllabic language, learners tend to transfer this quality to the foreign tongue. Naturally, this happens subconsciously.

I think it is important to get as much input as possible when learning English, not only in class, but outside it. These are some tips:

• open your mind to English, its sounds and spelling.
• listen to music in English, watch films, TV series, as much as possible. The more you listen, the better.
• train your ears: when you are listening, try to detect the different sounds, and recognise words and phrases. Listen for contractions.
• practise what you learn, a little every day (no rhyme intended, ha ha! :)