Understanding Native English Speakers' Spanish Pronunciation Problems

This research proposal investigates the difficulties faced by native English speakers in Spanish pronunciation and explores whether these problems can be mitigated through a year of language exposure in a Spanish-speaking country. The study will compare Spanish and English phonetics, focusing on the differences in vowels, diphthongs, and specific sounds absent in English. The methodology involves qualitative, interview-based research with two groups of English speakers: one group with prior Spanish study but no experience in a Spanish-speaking country, and another group with no prior Spanish study but a year of immersion. The interviews will assess self-perceived difficulties and pronunciation through a reading passage. The research aims to determine if immersion effectively improves pronunciation, providing insights into language acquisition and the challenges of phonetic transfer. The proposal includes a working schedule, references, and details on data collection and analysis, concluding with an assessment of the study's ability to reveal the impact of immersion on pronunciation accuracy.