Why is English pronunciation so difficult for Spanish speakers?

Perhaps the single biggest pronunciation problem for Spanish speakers is that their language does not have a distinction between short and long vowels. They often stretch all vowel sounds out too much and confuse pairs of short and long English vowel sounds like “ship” and “sheep” both in comprehension and speaking.

Is English difficult for Spanish speakers?

Is English difficult for Spanish speakers? The most straightforward answer to this question is “yes”, simply because learning any new language can be tough! It’s easier for Spanish speakers to learn other Romance languages (e.g., Italian, Portuguese, French).

What English words can Spanish people not say?

Here, we’re looking at the common 18 English words that Spanish speakers mispronounce when trying to learn English.

• School/Eschool.
• Ship/Sheep.
• Joke/Yolk.
• Teeth/Teet.
• Focus/Fuhcus.
• Eyes/Azz.
• Scape/Escape.
• Kitchen/Chicken.

How can I help English speakers in Spanish?

Tips for Teaching English to Spanish Speakers

1. Show your students the thousands of words they already know.
2. Teach Spanish to English false cognates.
3. Target the phonemes Spanish speakers have difficulty with.
4. Teach that English is stress timed and Spanish is syllable timed.
5. Teach students to write concisely.

What phonemes are difficult for Spanish speakers?

Now let’s look at some issues with individual sounds that can negatively affect Spanish speakers’ intelligibility in English, starting with consonants.

• /v/ Sounds like /v/ that don’t exist in Spanish are always tricky.
• /r/
• /j/ and / ʤ/
• /s/ + consonant in word initial position.
• Vowels.

How do you teach English to Spanish kids?

How to Teach Spanish Children English

1. Make classes practical.
2. Use flash cards divided into specific categories for vocabulary words.
3. Play matching games with Spanish and English flash cards.
4. Cater to children’s love of imagination.
5. Songs are some of the easiest ways to for children to learn anything, including English.