Introduction to Spanish Phonetics

This course introduces students to fundamental notions of Spanish phonetics. It has two main components:

(1) the first component zeroes in on the theoretical aspects of articulatory phonetics (how are sounds produced? why and how do English/Spanish sounds differ, what is the phonological system of Spanish, etc.);

(2) the second component is of a dual practical nature, and has as its goals (a) the elimination of foreign accent in one’s own Spanish (non-native speakers), and (b) the elimination of foreign accent in someone else’s Spanish (meant for teachers of Spanish as an L2).

Starting around 1/3 into the course, each student (non-natives) will record his/her own spoken Spanish on an almost daily basis. These recordings will then be corrected and commented upon by the professor as well as fellow students in the class. Participants in this class are thus given highly individualized attention. The grading of these recordings is solely based on progress, not on actual “mistakes” made.
The theoretical and practical insights thus gained during the initial two to three weeks of the course will then be applied in “the real world” of Middlebury College, as each student in the course will “adopt” several non-native Spanish speakers and so as to become their pronunciation coach. Students will thus work in tandem with participants in Middlebury’s optional CLÍNICA DE PRONUNCIACIÓN, which has been offered successfully for several summers in a row.
There are 2 exams plus a comprehensive final exam (these exams concern mostly the theoretical aspects of the course). The lectures are predominantly in PowerPoint. In the past, students have found this Intro to Spanish Phonetics to be a most practical and useful course — one that greatly reduces their foreign accent (and, especially for native or near native speakers) gives them a thorough understanding of how “Spanish works” on an articulatory level. No papers are required. Course is taught (almost) entirely in Spanish.


Required text: Armin Schwegler, Juergen Kempff, A. Ameal-Guerra, Fonética y fonología españolas (Wiley & Sons, 4th ed., 2010).

This course is cross-listed with Professional Preparation for Teachers