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Regional Spanish phonological transfer in the English oral production of advanced Panamanian learners.

Transferencia fonológica del español regional en la producción oral del inglés en estudiantes avanzados panameños.

Universidad de Panamá

Belgica Esther Ruiz Ramos

Núcleo de conversación. Enseñanza de lenguas extranjeras y dialectos

autóctonos en la educación superior.

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Introduction

The growing demand for global communication highlights how regional native language phonology transfers into second-language (L2) oral production.

Manrique (2013) stated that mispronunciation and grammatical errors are the most common types of interference between the mother tongue and the target language

The study examines how regional phonological variations in Panamanian Spanish (specifically in the Los Santos region) impact the oral English pronunciation of advanced second-language learners, framed within sociolinguistic and sociocultural perspectives.

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The complete study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining acoustic speech analysis using Praat software with quantitative and qualitative surveys administered to students and educators. Although the complete study has yet to be conducted, a pilot study involving 17 English professors at the University of Panama's Los Santos regional branch has already been completed to evaluate faculty perceptions of regional language interference.

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Specific

1. To analyze how L1 oral Spanish variations influence the L2 English pronunciation of advanced 4 second language learners in the Los Santos region.

2. To examine how sociolinguistic factors affect the L2 English language pronunciation among second language learners in the Los Santos province.

3. To determine the impact of sociocultural factors on Spanish-accented English pronunciation.

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Methodology

Research Design.

The complete study will employ a mixed methods approach, using both qualitative and quantitative research to analyze the impact of L1 Spanish regional language variation in pronunciation specifically, consonant and vowel omission on the L2 oral language pronunciation.

It first focuses on conducting an in-depth qualitative analysis to determine how variations in the L1 Spanish language influence the use of L2 English pronunciation through Praat and a survey.

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Participants

Participants: The study population for the complete study that need to be conducted comprises 20 advanced adult English language learners (ages 20–40) at the University of Panama, Los Santos Province, alongside 10 English professors (ages 30–55) selected for qualitative interviews.

17 English professors at the University of Panama (A pilot study )

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Instruments:

Google form online survey (Pilot study)

Study to be conducted.

Acoustic Speech Recording: High-fidelity audio recordings captured via Audacity and converted into uncompressed mono WAV files for detailed waveform analysis

Praat Software: Utilized for acoustic evaluations (formant frequencies, pitch contours, and duration metrics) to measure phonetic transfer.

Surveys & Questionnaires: Administered in English and Spanish with test-retest reliability protocols to evaluate learners' and educators' self-perceptions regarding language interference.

Semi-Structured Interviews: Conducted with faculty members to gather professional perspectives on regional pronunciation barriers.

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Analysis and Results

Pilot Study Findings

An Impact of L1 Variations: Results indicate that 76.4% of respondents rated the impact of L1 regional variations on advanced L2 oral production as moderate to significant (mode and median = Moderate).

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Graphic 3.

In graphics 2 and 3. Sociolinguistic and Geographical Factors: Faculty consensus confirmed that external geographic factors play an active, noticeable role in shaping student phonological development. Qualitative faculty feedback reinforced that local dialect habits directly influence student enunciation and rhythm.

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Conclusion

Regional phonological variations of Panamanian Spanish specifically the distinct dialectal traits of the Los Santos region, such as consonant deletion and rhythmic variation are perceived by educators to have a notable, moderate-to-significant impact on the oral English pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm of advanced L2 learners. This pilot study successfully captures how a learner's immediate geographical and sociocultural background dictates L1 phonetic transfer. The study underscores that L2 English proficiency is deeply intertwined with the specific regional identity and native linguistic habits of the speaker.

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Recommendations

Implement Dialect-Specific Pronunciation Pedagogy: English language programs at the regional university level should move away from generic pronunciation curricula and instead design targeted interventions addressing specific L1 transfer habits of Los Santos speakers.

Integrate Acoustic Feedback Tools in the Classroom: Incorporate user-friendly phonetic analysis tools (such as simplified visual displays inspired by Praat software) into advanced oral production courses so students can track and self-correct their intonation.

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Expand Professional Development for Regional Educators: Provide training workshops for English faculty at local university branches to deepen their understanding of sociolinguistics and regional dialectology.

Scale the Methodology to Other Panamanian Regions: Future research should replicate this mixed-methods framework across other provinces in Panama to map out a comprehensive national profile of diverse dialect interactions.

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