Sinalefa (part II)
I think I did not explain myself well last time, so I'm going to try a different approach. Could you answer these questions for me?
a) Did you know that a sentence like "La he visto" should be read as "Laé visto" in normal speech? ("la" and "he" are not pronounced as different words)
b) Is this taught in any Spanish course?
c) Have you noticed this before?
P.D. Of course, if you speak very slowly and carefully, you would make the necessary stops to clearly delimit the words, but people do not normally talk like that.
12 Answers
Lazarus said:
a) Did you know that a sentence like "La he visto" should be read as "Laé visto" in normal speech? ("la" and "he" are not pronounced as different words)
Yes. I pay special attention not to prononuce them as two words.
b) Is this taught in any Spanish course?
Not that I have ever encountered, but the concept is very interesting and I think that teaching this way may help a lot of people speak more naturally.
c) Have you noticed this before?
Yes. I have definitely noticed it and often practice speaking this way to avoid sounding stiff, like I'm reading from a book.
Lazarus, as a Spanish speaker I have not studied sinalefa in the subject "Spanish grammar" but in literature, specifically to learn how to count syllables in the verses of a poem.
It's an interesting question, why sinalefa is not explained? In my opinion, if it is not taught is because it is a completely natural phenomenon of speech, since it is much more comfortable "sinalefear" (sorry for the invention of this verb) than not to do it, whether reading or speaking, by the own nature of vowel sounds.
I also believe that the phenomenon of linking the vowels, is something that occurs in the majority of languages, and this has nothing to do with the slowness or speed of the speech. We often confuse fluency with speed, but they are not exactly the same.
This is a very interesting subject to me as well. As a musician, I have found that focusing on the blending of sounds and the rhythm of the language is vitally important. This was something that was not taught when I learned French in school. Although I was able to read French novels, I was never able to understand a conversation in that language. When I began studying Spanish, my goal was to avoid that mistake at all costs.
To answer your question:
b) Is this taught in any Spanish course?
I have mentioned the site below in several threads. This is a one year free video course which focuses on the "music" of the language. The teacher Luis, focuses on the rhythm and sounds and avoids the memorization of grammar rules and lists. Quite a few lessons focus on listening to how words are blended together. In addition, examples are given from several different countries for comparison.
I'm not sure if this is what you are looking for, but I have found it to be helpful.
Lazarus, Has hecho una pregunta muy interesante, y - como profesora de idiomas - he estado cavilando sobre el tema.
I think that you make several interesting points.
1 - is this taught? I would have to say that the answer to this question hangs to a large extent on the fluency of the instructor. If the instructor is not very fluent and does not model correct pronunciation or "linking" (as it is frequently called in casual academic terms), the students themselves will not correctly pronounce. I have worked with colleagues of varied stripes, but the majority of them do model this and do make a point of teaching this; it is also presented as a curricular topic.
2.- what are the circumstances of the individual speaker? It would be a wonderful thing if the entire world could learn language easily, but - unfortunately - language acquisition does not come easily for some, in spite of their most diligent efforts. Once again, speaking from the perspective of a teacher, it is painful at times to witness a student struggle to pronounce a challenging word or to "link" a series of vowels correctly.
3.- what is the purpose of language acquisition? For most people, it is to have the ability to communicate with people who speak another language. If this is the case, we strive for the best pronunciation and grammatical structure possible, but the "bottom line" remains - was there effective communication? Sometimes a student gets so tense in trying to pronounce and to "link" correctly that he/she is rendered practically mute. Clearly, the first step in communication is being able to get a series of words put together without being nervous about less than perfect pronunciation or "linking"!
Your point remains, however, and it is a valid one. It is beneficial for all of us to take a look at our own situation and do an honest self assessment as to areas that need improvement.
Yes and no. Topics 14-16 here cover the linking of words in Spanish pronunciation, but don't use the word sinalefa to describe it.
Thank you Lazarus for reposting in a different way. I have been told by native speakers (students) that I sound weird when I speak to them in Spanish (it's not much mind you but I try to get some conversation in when I can or feel capable of doing so). I have never been specifically taught to put certain words together with the exception of "de" and "el" becoming "del" and other small things like this. I can't wait to read over some of the links here---my students just went to lunch and I'm getting my SD fix!! 
a completely natural phenomenon of talk....I also believe that the phenomenon of linking the vowels, is something that occurs in the majority of languages
I agree. I have taught both Spanish and English and have rarely found the need to focus on the importance of linking words together as most students tend to do it 'naturally'.
Saying that, some older first-time language learners can start of a bit "robotic" in their way of speaking, but it's not a huge issue at a beginner level.
I think it's best to start off pronouncing each word clearly and getting the vowel sounds right (very tricky for some!), then moving on to improving the flow.
An interesting topic!
a) not specifically, ie I don't consciously think about the process - although I try not to over-enunciate sentences because I know that if we speak English like that it sounds really weird - as if we are a little toffee nosed - and i presume it's the same in any language.
b) I haven't ever taken a course but I have read a fair few reference works etc and have never seen it explained.
c) yes, when I've been teaching others phrases - especially if I write them on a white board etc and then hear them reading it I'll make a point of teaching them how to run things together to sound more natural.
I would like emphasize something else. When you are first starting to speak Spanish, like I am, native speakers have difficulty understanding you because of poor pronunciation. Speaking slowly and pronouncing every vowel clearly may sound artificial, but people will understand you. Obviously you will not sound like a native, but slurring your words together makes it harder for people to understand you and is not the first step towards fluency. I base this on 8 months of living in Ecuador and making slow but steady progress towards being able to communicate.
Si fuera joven, ya aprendería la lengua, pero la vejez ha sacado la capaz.
Mountaingirl said:
Sometimes a student gets so tense in trying to pronounce and to "link" correctly that he/she is rendered practically mute.
I agree with this statement. However, since Spanish speaking people are always patient with those learning the language, they usually figure out what we are saying and then correct as needed.
What I have found to be the most difficult is understanding what others are saying to me. In Lazarus' example:
"La he visto"/ "Laé visto"
The first time I heard this, I would be in a panic thinking "what or who is Laé?" Is this a person or perhaps a city in Spain? Meanwhile, the other person would be about ten sentences ahead of me.
How great it is to learn our first language as children. We simply repeat the sounds that we hear. When we make mistakes, people think we're cute. Then we go to school and start learning how to spell all of those sounds we have been learning for the past four to five years.
That is why I am starting to believe that this is really the way to focus on learning a language as adults. Of course, grammar rules are important and lists do have their place. However, nothing has been more helpful to me as spending time "listening" to how words are commonly joined together or by learning short phrases (like the one mentioned above) that are used in every day conversation.
Lorenzo said:
peaking slowly and pronouncing every vowel clearly may sound artificial, but people will understand you. Obviously you will not sound like a native, but slurring your words together makes it harder for people to understand you and is not the first step towards fluency.
This is very true. As with music, I would rather have someone play a song slowly, in a staccato rhythm and get it right, rather than trying to play very quickly with the wrong notes. The same can be said for language. Being understood is the first order of business. As we progress, we can refine what we have learned and make it "more beautiful".
For me, this topic is more important for the "listening" side of the equation. If I attempt to sound like a native Spanish speaker and I see a look of confusion come over their face, I automatically know to slow things down and to separate my words for clarity and understanding. However, unless we are aware of the topic of sinalefa and make it a point to learn this through constant listening and practice, we will never be fluent in any language.
I took intro to linguistics and yes they talked about how spoken language tends to run together but it was not a major theme. It was just something that was mentioned and it was more like a "oh yeah it does tend to run together" type of thing--not like a whole chapter was devoted to it.
