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| This map shows where Spanish is spoken today. The darker the blue, the higher the percentage of Spanish-Speaking population. |
The Spanish language
is spoken in more than twenty countries across the Americas and the Caribbean
in addition to its country of origin, Spain. As a non-native speaker, it’s easy to assume
that the language is pretty much the same everywhere you go. When you think about it, though, there are
significant variations in the way English is spoken just within the United
States. I am originally from Florida,
and but my family moved to southwestern Virginia when I was eleven. The thick Southern accents in my new town
were so different that I found a lot of people hard to understand.
As I’ve gotten further
along in my Spanish classes, I've learned that of course, Spanish is the same
way. Here in the United States, I’ve
been taught Latin American Spanish.
Little emphasis is placed on the vosotros, the informal plural second
person—essentially the Spanish equivalent of y’all—because it is not widely
used. At least, not widely used outside
of Spain. In Spain, it is
commonplace. So the vosotros and its
corresponding verb forms are fairly unfamiliar to me, and that’s one piece of
grammar I’m expecting to struggle with at first.
| A Spanish tortilla! |
Another way in which
the Spanish language is distinct in Spain is called the seseo. El seseo refers to how in Spain, many
syllables that are spelled with s, c, or z are pronounced with what sounds like
a soft th, such as in the English word “think.”
To an American, this sounds a bit like speaking with a lisp, but it is
simply a part of the accent. This means
that in Spain, my name will probably be pronounced Theebley.
In addition to
differences in grammar and pronunciation, vocabulary also varies between Latin
America and Spain. A word can mean two
different things in each location. For instance, in Latin America, a tortilla
is a flat food made of corn or flour. In
Spain, however, a tortilla is a lot closer to what we Americans would call an
omelette, made with eggs and potatoes and cheese. This Spanish tortilla sounds delicious, and I
can’t wait to try it!
Dear Sibley and Amanda:
ReplyDeleteDid you know that "Theebley" is the long lost, Spanish cousin of "Thisbe" in Shakespeare's A Midsummers Night Dream?
Also, I understand that the best place to get a Spanish Totilla is a "TAPAS BAR". I wonder how many American boys (who did not pay attention in Spanish class) asked for the nearest other kind of BAR--that sounds like TAPAS--and only found hard boiled eggs.
The other linquistic Latin American difference my Hispanic friends mention, is that in everyday conversation no one using the Usted form of a verb. Everything is the informal TU. Is that true in Spain today?
Dear Amanda and Sibley:
ReplyDeleteWould you write a blog comment on the importance for Spain to
win the European soccer tournament. Elaborate on how you plan to
attend a European football match and a bull fight in the same day.
Haha, while I think the cultural aspect of bull fighting is interesting, I don't think I could watch an actual bull fight! I've seen a few pictures of the bloody and sad bulls and it makes me feel really sad. So, that part, at least, wouldn't be on my list of things to do.
ReplyDeleteAs for soccer, I don't know anything about it, but would love to see a match :)
Dear Travelings Chicas:
ReplyDeleteThis may be old news to you, but please make sure to check out the
resource from the US State Department for Americans traveling abroad: http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/tips_1232.html
Also, make sure you find out the correct answer to the following question: When I am our in public in a foreign country can I carry just a photocopy of my identification papers while leaving the originals back in the room where I am staying.