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 Ratings
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| Reviewed: |
May 28, 2004 by World Languages Editorial Board |
| Overview: |
The Pronunciation Guide shows (in written and oral form) how to pronounce
Spanish vowels and consonants as well as sounds with particular stress or
intonation. Diphthongs, linking rules and stresses are also reviewed. The
different drills include practice for listening and practice with a written
transcript for each exercise. The user can select either the Castilian
pronunciation or the Latin American one.
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| Learning Goals: |
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| Target Student Population: |
Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced Learners
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| Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills: |
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| Type of Material: |
Audio
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| Recommended Uses: |
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| Technical Requirements: |
Shockwave
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| Strengths: |
The user simply clicks on the character he or she would like to study. Upon
choosing a particular character, a short description of how to pronounce the
character is given in English followed by an oral exercise (mostly in Spanish).
Once the oral portion begins, a narrator gives instructions on listening to the
native pronunciation of an assortment of words. For example, when choosing the
Spanish ?u,? two native speakers take turns pronouncing words such as ?tu,?
?rubio,? ?anuncio,? ?mucho,? etc. The words appear in written form
simultaneously with the native pronunciations out loud. Different examples are
given in an effort to provide as much coverage as possible. There is time
between each pronunciation for the student to repeat. The site also provides
examples of how NOT to pronounce certain sounds. i.e., how a native English
speaker with a heavy accent would do it. The site is dialectical in that native
speakers from different countries are used. When this occurs, the country of
origin of the speaker is listed in the text. The examples also include English
definitions or synonyms so that learners know what the Spanish vocabulary means
in English. There is plenty of repetition of the sounds for practice and the
assortment of dialects makes for good coverage dialectically. The drills also
cover the intonation, linking and stress rules of Spanish. The explanation
given for spelling and sound rules, e.g., the letter C, are simply and easily
understood.
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| Concerns: |
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Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool |
Rating:  |
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| Strengths: |
Linguists likely would prefer greater attention focused on the rules of
pronunciation (instead of short descriptions), how sounds are produced, or even
why certain dialectical differences exist. However,
the site was not designed
for advanced learners and is instead an excellent tool for beginning and
intermediate students. For advanced students with deficiencies in pronunciation,
the site would be good review for them as well.
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| Concerns: |
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Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty |
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| Strengths: |
The user can navigate easily throughout this site. The text, page design,
navigation and links appear to work and everything is consistent throughout.For
each exercise the user can listen and repeat. If the individual choses to
replay the drill, he/she can press the "detener" button, and the drill can be
repeated at will.
Some users may need to download Shockwave, but otherwise no technical
difficulties were evident in this portion of the site.The user can use the
Shockwave icon and click to find the site for downloading this plug-in. Sound
quality is excellent.
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| Other Issues and Comments: |
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