A New Year Full of Words and Sounds

Do you shy away from words? If so, you may be doing this also in the pursuit of a foreign language. Spanish is a language that attracts people, but it has sounds that some people may avoid. For example, if you are weak in pronouncing certain letters and their sounds, you may avoid sounding out that word.

The letter "r" is an example. Many Americans pronounce the Spanish "r" as they do the American alphabet "r." In English, you need not roll the sound of the letter, but in Spanish you do. It takes practice, but it can be mastered. You can either let it prevent you from going forward, or you can keep working at it. Luckily, I once was around people that rolled the "r." It was a bit easier to use it in Spanish, as a result, from having heard the "r" being trilled all my life in the context of other languages.

Some words are just "scary" words. They may intimidate with the sound, pronunciation, or their spelling. For example, you may like the word for "doll." It is softer and feminine. The word for "torrent" may not sound as appealing. I would suggest learning words that provide positive shades of meaning or sounds that you like at first. In time, you can add the "scarier" words by building your internal word bank.

When you encounter Spanish words, reflect on how they appear to you. Are they words you want to incorporate in your study or words you avoid? The answers may surprise you as you recollect what you digest easily and what you dismiss as you pursue your studies.

Some people may avoid plosive sounds or words that are associated with certain emotions. On the other hand, they may like to work with words that sound fun to pronounce. Using the example of the sound of "r" may be expedient here, because the words sound fun to the tongue, and the noises they make are felt with the mouth.

I would advocate trying out all sorts of words to see which ones your abilities prefer to work with in time. Speaking and expressing is part of learning another language, and you must master words and their sounds. Any language,whether it be French, German, or even Latin, will give you the opportunity to welcome new sounds to the tongue.

Keep a handy list of words that you don't get just yet. Note down why and when they become easier to use and pronounce. You will be able to determine how far you have come along in the process of learning them.

Scary words will come and go. It is you that chooses to befriend them in the long run. So, more power to you as you continue on to learn Spanish in the New Year!