In all my years teaching Spanish, there has been no struggle quite like the “RR” struggle. For some students the Spanish “RR” sound is easy to make whereas for others, it can be a source of a lot of frustration. Of all the sounds in Spanish, this is one that truly gives away the fact that you’re a foreigner if you don’t get it right and that’s why it’s important to find a way to learn how to do it.
One way to improve your “RR” pronunciation is to reframe your thinking around it. An example of this would be to identify the stress or fear you have about it and find a way to let go of those negative feelings for good. I mean, it’s not the end fo the world if you don’t say it perfectly so there’s no need to be scared of that big, bad “RR” under the bed waiting to jump out at you! BOO! Once you are able to relax mentally about it, you will be able to begin the process of believing you can do it, versus believing you can’t, the latter of which never results in progress.
In addition to reframing your thinking, you can watch my video on “RR” pronunciation in this week’s lesson in my Instagram Reels. It’s a good lesson to catch because you get to see my cousin Nacho do a great job of sticking with his practice and not giving up!
Lastly, you can simply envision how you want to sound. Close your eyes, see and hear yourself speaking Spanish exactly how you want. To help with this practice you should watch movies, shows and listen to podcasts in Spanish, or even…. (heaven forbid)… speak to a native speaker in person! ¿¿Qué?? (*faints*)
If you follow these steps and continue with your regular daily practice, you will be well on your way to a higher-level of fluency in no time! ¡Mil gracias!