Introduction

    Learning a second language is an adventure that leads you to experience new ways of expressing what you think and what you feel. On this path, we can say that it is necessary to make errors in order to master the language in the best way. It is possible that we make some errors in the area of writing when using a grammatical structure different from the one of our mother tongue. Especially, we tend to make many errors in pronunciation; either because of the influence of our native language or because of the complexity of the language we are learning. However, if you stop to think about it, what would be the point of having teachers if students did not make mistakes when learning? The main purpose of teachers is to guide you, identify where you are failing and find ways to help you develop your skills, in this case speaking, which is the key to effective communication.

    In this blog, we will be analyzing the most common errors in the pronunciation of Spanish speakers and their possible sources. We will also provide you with some practical exercises that will help you improve your English speaking skills. We will start by defining what error analysis is, according to (CARLA Center for Advanced Research on Language Adquisition, 2021) Error analysis is a method used to document the errors that appear in learner language, determine whether those errors are systematic, and (if possible) explain what caused them.

When speaking in English, it is necessary to take into account the many exceptions in pronunciation and to never take for granted that you have learned all of the rules. In some cases letters that are written are not pronounced. In others, the exact same suffix can be pronounced in different ways. (ABA ENGLISH , 2015)

    Looking at this, we can conclude that, even if we are strong in writing, it does not mean that we are also strong in speaking. In fact, having a "good" pronunciation means having an intelligible pronunciation, that is, being understood by anyone who speaks, in this case, English. Thus, we identify as an error in pronunciation any word or phrase that is pronounced incorrectly, or that generates confusion in the listener. However, it is important to be aware that this is not an irreversible problem, as there are many ways and techniques to improve our ability to speak. According to Gumbaridze (2012) Among the most common are, the echo, repeat to error, insinuation / promise, taking note of, common errors, counting them out, reforming and recording on tape (p. 1663). Obviously, there are many techniques to improve pronunciation, so identifying the errors is important because we can then deduce which technique is best for us to use to fix the error.

Cinthia Yajaira Amador Mejia.    20161000208.

Kenia Isabel Zambrano Molina.  20171033545.