One of the problems language learners face, especially adult students, is the fact that they know in their minds how to say a word, but somehow what comes out of their mouth hardly resembles the appropriate sound for such word. This is because there is no mind-body connection for the Spanish sound students are trying to produce. It’s a bit like if you had watch a tennis game for sometime: your mind understands what you are suppose to do with the racket, but the first time you try to hit the ball, your arm, hand-and-eye coordination and your feet will be very awkward and it is unlikely that you will be able to hit the ball (although flukes have been known to happen).
The jumping bean technique can help you create this min-body connection. I have tried it with my students with very positive results and it only takes minutes to do it. First, find or write a long sentence with the new vocabulary you want to master. It would be best if you listened to the correct pronunciation several times before “jumping. Thus, you can use a sentence from a study book that includes a CD or MP3. You could also go to www.voki.com, create an avatar and type the sentence. The avatar will say it out loud and you will be able to hear the right pronunciation.
Now that you have your sentence in front of you, say out loud two times. Now say the fist three words; then the last three. Say the sentence one more; now read it half-way. Read it backwards. Read the first word and then the last one. From the last one to half-way; now say the whole sentence. Transform it into a question, then a statement, then an exclamation. Then the whole sentence one last time. The whole process should take a couple of minutes. Time permitting do two or three sentences at the time. Do this exercise several times a week and you should notice an improvement in the way you pronounce the new vocabulary. Go back to Voki, create another avatar and this time record yourself saying the sentence. Compare your recording with the previous one, to see how to fine tune your pronunciation. Most importantly, have fun –see it as a tongue twister of sorts and once you feel comfortable with the vocabulary, add new words to your sentence. Be creative and enjoy your learning!
