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Piérdele el miedo a los acentos

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Overview:: Piérdele el miedo a los acentos is a resource that instructs students and
educators on the usage of Spanish accents.
Type of Material:: Tutorial
Recommended Uses:: The material is ideal for mastering the placement of written accents, placement
of stress on a particular syllable in the spoken language, and recognition of
change of meaning with certain words having a written accent.
Technical Requirements:: HTML format
Identify Major Learning Goals:: The major learning goals are to spell correctly in Spanish in order to develop
writing skills, and to place the right stress in pronouncing a word. Learners
will better understand why some Spanish words require a written
accent, and improve usage by following the basic rules.
Target Student Population:: The student population includes learners in middle school, secondary and college
levels.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: Knowledge of Spanish with an intermediate reading proficiency.

Rating:
Strengths:: The site is divided into six sections that explain how accents are used in the
Spanish language. The information is accurate and explained simply regarding 1)
basic rules, 2) words that always remain unstressed, 3)dipthongs, tripthongs,
and the pronunciation of two similar sounding vowels, 4) the use of diacritical
accents, and 5) the use of accents in compound words. After the definitions of
acento prosódico and acento ortográfico other information on vocals abiertas
y cerradas is presented. Palabras tónicas and átonas are well defined. The
proceeding sections give clear examples of each rule.
Concerns:: The rules are given in Spanish, and may create confusion for a student that does
not have mastery of the language. Beginning students may need to have an
instructor translate the rules as they read these. The language is basic but
the information is related to linguistics, e.g., Palabras átonas, tónicas,
agudas, llanas . This type of information is not taught at the beginning level
of the language and students may be unable to understand it even with help from
an instructor.

Rating:
Strengths:: The six modules are suitable for high intermediate and advance Spanish
students.The site is a good resource for Spanish educators. The site is
extremely beneficial for students in bilingual or heritage courses. It is an
excellent resource for providing simple and clear rules for a hard concept to
master among many native speakers, especially Spanish heritage students.

Students can learn one section at a time and return later to complete the rest
of the modules. Spanish educators can use it to review the rules for accents.
The site has a connection to www.superchicos.net an excellent web site for
language learners. This link could be used by beginning Spanish students who
would like to explore other activities.
Concerns:: All directions and information are written in Spanish which limits
accessibility to Spanish students in the lower level of language learning.
Since there is no audio to help make a sound/symbol connection with the examples
provided in the site, it will require for an instructor to sound out the
words, or create a lesson incorporating audio, e.g., a Powerpoint lesson with
Impatica software capabilities. There is no interactive practice.

Rating:
Strengths:: Information is contained in one page with working links. The site is colorful
with lots of white space. Important key words are highlighted in a different
color. The web site is accessible, menu, and layout is appropriate. Students
will not have difficulty navigating the six modules. This site does not require

technical support beyond basic skills in computers and the use of the internet.

Other Issues and Comments:: Piérdele el miedo a los acentos is a good website that can be used
successfully by Spanish students and educators and it could be used as a
reference for anyone studying Spanish. Spanish educators can use it as a
resource to review accentuation and recommend appropriate sections, e.g., Otras

Reglas orDiptongos, triptongos e hiatos or Palabras compuestas, to students
as the need arises.
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