Teaching the pronunciation of English through Project-Based Language Learning to Spanish learners of EFL

Abstract

With the implementation of bilingualism and trilingualism in the Spanish educative system, English has become the most taught foreign language in Spanish schools. However, the teaching of its pronunciation is not given the same importance compared to other aspects of the language such as grammar or vocabulary, which often hampers fluency and intelligibility when communicating in English. This paper addresses the need to develop pronunciation teaching in Spain and making it a major priority of learners’ education so students gain fluency and intelligibility and therefore, the communicative purpose of language is accomplished. To this end, it proposes a path towards an effective pronunciation teaching methodology that best serves the needs of Spanish learners. First, through the review of the literature about the historical development of teaching methodology, which puts particular attention to the pronunciation teaching methodology, the historically increasing importance of the teaching of pronunciation is highlighted and the basis to construct a proposal towards an effective pronunciation teaching methodology is established. Then, by means of summarising the main differences between the pronunciations of Spanish and English, focusing on those elements in English that have been shown to be particularly challenging for Spanish speakers, the aspects on which the teaching should be focused are highlighted and described. According to the reviewed literature regarding the pronunciation methodology and the comparative analysis of the Spanish and English pronunciation systems, the paper introduces some ideas towards a pronunciation teaching methodology based on the Project-Based Learning approach that would make the teaching of pronunciation to Spanish learners of English as a Foreign Language more effective. Finally, in view of the above, a lesson plan that applies the ideas developed in the methodology proposal and takes into account the vowel differences between Spanish and English is presented.