In the last chapter I introduced the subject of speech flow. In this chapter we will talk about how to properly develop pronunciation, speech flow and comprehension in the Spanish language.

I presently live in Atlanta, GA and frequently speak with people who say to me, "What will I sound like in Spanish with this Southern drawl?" This is an interesting question, isn't it?

The answer is…

If Spanish is learned correctly, it will not sound any different from someone in Chicago who learned Spanish pronunciation correctly. Let's talk first about pronunciation and then we will talk about speech flow. After that we will deal with the "comprehension" issue.

Development of Pronunciation:

It takes the average person four to six repetitions to properly hear and pronounce a word in a new language correctly. Of course, this should be reflected in the development of excellent course materials!

Pronunciation is a combination of hearing a sound or word correctly and then saying that sound or word correctly. There is something here that you must understand: The parts make the whole. This is true in all of learning. The parts make the whole.

In such an application I mean, as I have already said, you cannot pronounce full sentences correctly unless you learn to pronounce individual words correctly. Obviously, you cannot pronounce words correctly unless you can pronounce individual sounds correctly.

Here is some good news. There are no sounds in the Spanish language that cannot be produced by any English speaker. None.

In fact, Spanish, in most cases, is easier to pronounce than English. Here's my philosophy regarding the development of pronunciation:

1. You should learn to pronounce new Spanish words before you know the meaning of those words in English and Spanish. In other words, you should concentrate only on the pronunciation in Spanish without any consideration to what the word means. It does not matter what the word means at that point. It only matters that you can pronounce the word correctly. Once you learn to pronounce the word correctly, you can then learn what it means.

2. In order to pronounce well you must speak loudly when you first learn a new word. No mumbling. I know this kind of hurts the "airline" travelers, but this is a fact. If you mumble words when you first learn to pronounce them, you will solidify a poor pronunciation. It is harder to break poor pronunciation once entrenched than to learn it correctly the first time.

3. You must open your mouth widely when you are first learning to pronounce new words. This forces you to enunciate the words correctly.

The absolute worst scenario is when you have persons learning to pronounce words after they know the meaning of the words, they are softly saying the words and their mouth is for the most part closed. As some people say in the Northeastern United States, "Forget about it!" You will never, and I do mean never, pronounce words correctly if you do that.

Excellent course materials will contain audios that allow you to work individually with each new word you are learning to pronounce. They will also pre-program in the number of times that you need to repeat a word in order to achieve solid pronunciation. They will not place those words within the full context of sentences and paragraphs until you have already learned to pronounce the words correctly.

Also, your course materials and tutor should pace the speed of pronunciation when you are first beginning. This way you are sure to hear the sounds correctly. With time, speed can be increased as you are ready for it and can adjust to it.

Of course, when you are also working with a skilled instructor, the tutor will work with you on a consistent basis to help you develop confidence in your "sound." One thing is sure, people who feel good about how they sound, learn faster than those who do not. The reason for this is because their level of confidence and psychological "feel" for the process is positive and upbeat.

Based on this fact, it is very important for you to develop solid pronunciation from the very beginning of a course.

Development of Speech Flow:

I have had the opportunity over the years to work a lot in the areas of communications and drama. Several years ago I learned a technique called "Paced Reading" from a drama teacher. Basically, she gave us a script and had us repeat behind her one to two syllables. She would then proceed to talk like other people from other people groups. She explained to us that this technique is frequently used by actors and actresses who desire to imitate the way someone from another country or people group sounds.

So again, you follow behind a "native" speaker about one to two syllables. This way you are close enough to hear any differences in the way the native speaks and the way you would naturally say something. You are also close enough to make an adjustment so that you do say it correctly. This is a technique that requires quite a lot of focus but if properly done it is extremely effective for the development of both accent and speech flow.

The nice thing about "paced reading" is that the rate of speed can be gradually increased. I believe, and this is based on experience over the years, that a student in a Basic Level program should be paced at about 50 percent of a native. An Intermediate Student should be paced at about 70 percent of a native, an Advanced Student around 90 percent and an Expert Level Student, 100 percent.

Sometimes with Expert Level students, I'll even go faster just to "push them to their outer limits." By stretching students, they will have an easier time with normal native speed. The key here is to allow the student to become acclimated to speed.

Development of Comprehension Skills:

Have you ever thought the following about Hispanics? "Wow, those people sure speak fast." Spanish is a pretty rapid fire language when it is at “full tilt.” It does move. There are several reasons for this. They are:

1. The way gender agreement works in Spanish allows for consecutive words to all end with the same letters. For example: Los carros bonitos. (The pretty cars.) Each word ends in the same two letters; "os." Well, that can produce some pretty fast speech when those "pretty cars" are all revved up!

2. Hispanics are for the most part animated people. Spanish people tend to get excited easily and this makes for some fast talking.

3. The way the mouth is positioned in Spanish is a side to side movement. You never really get down into the throat to pronounce a word like you do in English. English is a guttural language, Spanish is a romance language. Basically, people call them "romance languages" because they are smooth and flowing languages. This is due to the positioning of the mouth to produce the sounds. There are very, very few harsh sounds in Spanish.

Allow me to say something very important for you to understand.

Comprehension is the last skill that will be developed in your learning process. In fact, I do not even want a student worrying about the speed of the language until he or she is in an Advanced Level course. There is just too much to accomplish infrastructurally before then, like learning vocabulary and structure. I have met students frustrated to death because they cannot understand the Spanish Soap Opera on Univision. Some of these people have not even finished a Basic Level Course and they are frustrated over this.

Time out.

What does not make sense about this? If you do not know enough words and you do not have a total mastery of structure, how do you expect to understand those two things put together at native rate of speed? That simply does not make sense.

I do know a lot of people who sit down to watch a TV program and they say, "I can pretty much understand that." Well, truth be known, they understand the words that sound like English words, pick up a few others and they say, "I pretty much understood that." No they didn't!

Comprehension — real comprehension happens when you already have a strong language infrastructure (words and patterns) and you have become acclimated to speed through a strong training process that includes speech flow drills and comprehension drills.