When your first language is Spanish, learning English can be difficult. There are some big differences in grammar, pronunciation and spelling between the two languages. We will explore five of the most common difficulties Spanish speakers have to overcome when learning English.
Sentence structure
In Spanish, sentences have a more flexible sentence structure. In English, the sentence structure is more fixed. The word order is generally: subject + verb + object.
For example, in Spanish both of these sentences can be said:
- Están aquí los hombres
- Los hombres están aquí.
Using the same example in English, the correct sentence is: The men are here. To say: ‘They are here the men’ sounds very unusual. You could say ‘Here are the men’ but it sounds more formal or special, and you might not want that.
Pronouns: Use them in English!
For Spanish speakers, subject pronouns, such as nosotros and yo, can often be left out. This is because the conjugation of the verb already shows who is speaking.
In Spanish, ‘Estamos aquí’ and ‘Soy española’ are complete sentences.
The English language requires that the pronouns are included:
- Are here vs We are here
- Am Spanish vs I am Spanish
The sentences without the ‘We’ and ‘I’ are incomplete and unclear – this means the person you are talking to is likely to get confused.
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is one of the hardest aspects of the English language. Certain sounds that exist in English don’t exist in the Spanish language.
These are three examples of common pronunciation issues:
‘V’ and ‘B’ sounds
In Spanish, these sounds are very similar, but not in English. For example, ‘vote’ and ‘boat’ sound quite different in English.
Stress vs. syllable timing
In Spanish, the speaker gives equal time to each syllable, but in English, only certain syllables are stressed. For example, the sentences below take the same time to say in English:
- Cats chase mice.
- The cats chase the mice.
- The cats are chasing the mice.
- The cats have been chasing the mice.
This rhythm difference can make English sound fast or unnatural for Spanish speakers. Spanish speakers can sound very ‘staccato’ to an English speaker.
Spelling vs. Pronunciation
Spanish words are pronounced as they are written. English doesn’t have this rule. Spelling and pronunciation don’t always appear to match, and must often be learned separately. For example:
- Spanish: estación → sounds like ‘es-ta-syon’
- English: station → sounds like ‘stay-shen’
English Vowel Sounds
Spanish has only five vowel sounds, but English has around 20. This includes short and long vowels:
- Short vs. long: ‘ship’ (short ‘i’) vs. ‘sheep’ (long ‘ee’)
- Combined vowels (diphthongs): ‘day’ has two vowel sounds together
Some English vowel sounds can be difficult to produce because they do not exist in Spanish. English language learners will need to become familiar with all the different vowel sounds as they learn to speak English.
Final thoughts
Although learning English can be difficult for Spanish speakers, understanding these differences can help you improve faster.
With practice, you will become clearer and more confident when using English. Speak Up London’s teachers understand this, and will help you to develop and practise your skills, so you see real progress.
Author: Speak Up London