Methods for teaching introductory Spanish phonology.

This study examines research-based methods of teaching pronunciation in an introductory Spanish course. It endeavors to create a lesson-plan structure from which instructors can build lessons to teach pronunciation. Five structured lesson plans were implemented over a five-week period, and a pre- and post-test were administered. Data from the pre- and post-tests were inconclusive in determining whether the method implemented in this study was effective. Despite the inconclusive data, results suggest that more pronunciation instruction should be included in the introductory classroom, as various studies have demonstrated its effectiveness. Additionally, results from student surveys demonstrate that students found pronunciation instruction to be helpful. Consequently, it is important for faculty at universities to consider including more explicit pronunciation instruction in introductory Spanish curricula.