ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of research studies examining the acquisition of fricatives by L2 learners of Spanish and the practical application of these theories to classroom methodologies. This chapter focuses specifically on the Spanish fricatives /θ, s, x/ and allophonic variants [ð, z, χ, h]. Several helpful techniques are outlined, along with suggestions for the design and execution of pronunciation lessons for teaching Spanish fricatives related to: 1. Phonetic instruction regarding concrete rules of place and manner of articulation; 2. Auditory exposure through listening comprehension passages and/or minimal pair lists, with student attention focused on sounds over meaning; 3. Teaching sound discrimination through the use of articulatory diagrams, oral repetition, and identification tasks; and 4. The implementation of online resources to complement pronunciation instruction and learning, such as the Sounds of Speech (the University of Iowa) and Praat. Practical recommendations are offered to teachers of all levels for incorporating research-based pronunciation instruction easily into their everyday lesson plans. Although the majority of the research articles discussed here focus on native English speakers learning Spanish, recommendations can be modified and applied to learners of any L1 background.
