Learning Spanish

tomtom33 says on Jul 25, 2005, 14:47:

I did Pimsleur 1, 2, and 3. Took four courses in conversational Spanish, and lived in Cartagena for a couple of years. I still cannot understand the Costeños, and they cannot understand me. Maybe I'm just a dumb shit.

I can do a little better with Paisas and Rolos.

Michael B says on Jul 25, 2005, 15:06:

Is Spanish the same..... Is Spanish the same in all South and Central American countries?

Well, is English the same in England, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, New York, Texas, California and South Carolina? There's your answer. In my experience (but remember, this is only MY experience, others may have a different view and that can be quite correct for THEIR experience), Cubans and Puerto Ricans are the hardest to understand, Mexicans the easiest, Ticas and Colombians about middle. Most likely (because you will be using 'proper' words and speaking slowly) they will understand you better than you will understand them (because they will be using slang, local words, and speaking rapidly).

bufalo says on Jul 25, 2005, 18:20:

When we lived in Uruguay, and visited Argentina, my wife (colombiana) and I (NYC gringo who speaks fluent spanish) had about equal difficulty understanding the local people. The accent there is very different. Where other parts of the world peole say "sIEntate", they say "sentAte" and such, stressing the later syllable. Even though they write the accent marks where they should, they pronounce the accent eslsewhere. Once you know sapnish well enough, you shouldn´t have too much of a problem, we got along fine after a while, even picking up accent and returning to Colombia with it a little.

"If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor

Mr. Hollywood says on Jul 25, 2005, 18:30:

Costeño I find almost all Carribean and Costeño Spanish difficult to understand. For a beginning Spanish speaker I would compare it to an person who has had 3 class levels of proper English being air-dropped into the bayous of Louisiana. It's the swallowing of numerous consonants that makes it tough ie. "¿Como e-ta u-te?" for ¿Cómo está usted?. But I find the Spanish in Bogota to be very straightforward.

ColombiaBoard says on Jul 26, 2005, 08:41:

Spanish All the countries around the caribbean basin share the same accents in spanish except Mexico and Costa Rica.
In colombia you can notice three strong accents, the Costeno accent (caribbean region) the andean accent (the most neutral accent, easily understood by foreigners) and the southeastern accents.

In general the spanish spoken in Colombia is very good, specially in the andean region.

As Michael B rightfully wrote, is the same situation with english, you can speak with an australian but if he speaks they way they do it among themselves you may not understand everything, or what about this, an englishman speaking with someone from rural Tennessee?

bufalo says on Jul 26, 2005, 10:44:

I spent many years on the coast and had a real costño accent. I even told people that I was from Cienega and most believed me! I even told my wife that when we met, I still kid her about it. Took a little while, but I lost it now (unless I intend to speak like that). I do feel that I speak clearer since picking up the accent spoken here - coffee region.

"If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor

Sylvie says on Jul 26, 2005, 11:33:

If they are nice they will make an effort to understand you despite your accent. When I was little my nanny was mexican I from the spanish I know it is with the mexican accent/dialect I suppose.

South Americans are generally accepting of my accent. They may tease you a bit but they'll try hard to convers with you.

Spaniards on the other hand can be a bit mean. I once asked a policeman, in my best spanish, for directions to a certain museum and he laughed at me and then spoke to me in English. That hurt!

Mr. Hollywood says on Jul 26, 2005, 11:38:

Sylvie, where in Spain did that happen to you? I've had similar things happen there but only in Barcelona, where there's a big political thing against speaking Spanish (They speak Catalan).

In the rest of Spain people have all kinds of different accents, not just the lispy "Castillian" one.

Sylvie says on Jul 26, 2005, 11:43:

Yes it was in Barcelona. And I can't stand the lispy thing.

It reminds me of "Big Gay Al" on Southpark

Michael B says on Jul 26, 2005, 15:35:

Basil says that you'll have to forgive Manuel. (He's from Barcelona, you know.)

pilbo says on Jul 26, 2005, 16:37:

best understood admittedly Colombian spanish in and around Medellin and Bogota
is easier to understand. That coastal dialect is tough to cachai
as it sort of sounds like mumble. In Cali there is a greater motivation
to understand the Cale~nas. So my suggestion is to acquire some motivation (hmm) to listen and speak. After a few years of this, I have found that I could be understood, but still lack the ear for some of
the local murmur. (Then again she says its because I'm not listening.)
It is also probably very safe to stick with the "formal" spanish until
one grasps the local figures of speech which may not serve one well
outside that area. (bigger mistakes probably have not been made)

bufalo says on Jul 27, 2005, 10:02:

My wife and I both have had trouble in Barcelona as well, a lot of run-ins, and we were patient with them. Don´t call it "spanish", no,no, no, it is "castillian". I was surprised as to how much more I heard spangilsh there than in south america.

"If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor

Mua says on Jul 28, 2005, 17:40:

Question I haven't travelled to Colombia yet but have travelled to Venezuela. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to find a spanish tutor here in Sydney, Australia? Or have any Colombian friends willing to teach at a reasonable rate? I'm not having much luck here. Much appreciated... :)

william_andrew_channell says on Jul 29, 2005, 15:35:

Clarification Bufalo wrote:
"Where other parts of the world peole say "sIEntate", they say "sentAte" and such, stressing the later syllable. Even though they write the accent marks where they should, they pronounce the accent eslsewhere"

You are exactly write as far as the pronunciation, but the reason goes a little deeper. In spanish there are 3 forms of direct address: tú, usted and vos. "Sentate" is simply the correct conjugation of the verb sentarse for the pronoun vos. Vos is used commonly and sometimes is preferred to tú in many parts of the world:
Argentina and most of southern cone
Guatemala
Ecuador
Cali
Medellín
Maracaibo (although, in Maracaibo the conjugations are different, following the vosotros conjugations - vos habláis, tenéis, podéis instead of hablás, tenés and podés)