Is Spanish more useful than Portuguese in Latin America?

Tianjiner   Sun Aug 02, 2009 2:00 pm GMT
Is Spanish really more useful than Portuguese in Latin America?

Brazil is developing more rapidly than Mexico, will Portuguese replace Spanish to be the lingua franca of Latin America?
guest   Sun Aug 02, 2009 2:05 pm GMT
troll troll troll
guest   Sun Aug 02, 2009 2:19 pm GMT
Spanish, a dialect of Portuguese, is now in a gradual decline.

Portuguese will soon catch up from behind, and surpass Spanish.

Brazil is booming up, welcome to Brazil and learn Brazilian Portuguese.
Visitor Brüno   Sun Aug 02, 2009 2:52 pm GMT
Brüno will soon catch you aunties from behind.
Harman   Sun Aug 02, 2009 2:58 pm GMT
1) I don't care what lenguage will win, brazilian portuguese or american spanish, brazilian portuguese and american spanish are so closed that people can learn the other one in a little time. As tianjier wrote 'spanish is a dialect of portuguese' it's wrong they are different lenguages but mutually intelligible, very closed ones.

2) I care brazil portugues and american spanish kill each other and english win.

3) Brazil is instructed all their children in spanish lenguage, it's a compulsatory subject in its schools. Brazil wants to leadership latin america and perhaps it can achieve simon bolivar's dream, a united states of latin america because it's booming up and it's very strong and powerful now, but it needs spanish to do it as you see

4) In south america 50% people speak brazilian portuguese and other 50% speak spanish more o less, but in central america spanish is full spoken and it's part of latin america. In north america Mexico speak spanish and so does some Usa southern states, no one speak brazilian portuguese in north america or central america.

5) What about a lenguage union between spanish and portuguese? instead of fighting about which will be 'the lenguage' as i allways write,he he he.
J.C.   Sun Aug 02, 2009 2:59 pm GMT
@天津人:

If you want to go to a Spanish-speaking country I'd say you should learn Spanish but advise to you try to speak Spanish in Brazil because you might make some people angry and probably won't understand their reply. However, if you learn Portuguese you will be able to understand TONS of Spanish without making much effort. I had the opportunity to use Portuguese in Paraguay, Argentina(I only spoke in places close to the Brazilian border) and also took my chances in Mexico without any problems.

Cheers!!
Iberica   Sun Aug 02, 2009 3:03 pm GMT
Portuñol/Portunhol, I think it's possible to create such language.
Hispano   Sun Aug 02, 2009 3:47 pm GMT
To Tianjiner.

You are a French, trying to initiate a fight between Spanish and Portuguese. That is impossible, mon ami. Our languages are very similar, our culture is very similar, and we are very similar.

Perhaps you should fear Portuguese language. If the general tendencies are like nowadays, the gap between Spanish and French will be enormous in 2050, but even the strengh of Portuguese will be also too much for French in the near future.



You can see now the demographic strengh of them:

Spanish: 500 million of speakers

Portuguese: 230 million of speakers

French: 130 million of speakers.
Harman   Sun Aug 02, 2009 3:52 pm GMT
Opps i forguet caribean.
Countries as Cuba, Puerto rico, Republica dominicana, spanish is mainly spoken there.

Tienjier you can learn both lenguages they are very closed and they are quite similar, it worths.

And it's no sense people get angry if you speak spanish to a brazilian and viceversa if you are visitor they will detect your accent and most of people will talk to you in portuguese or portuñol/portunhol (portuguese + español ) or spanish or english to help you. Brazilian people are very friendly so does american spanish people.

Summarizing: Spanish is more spoken in all americas, but Brazil has more economical power and leadership right now (and brazilian children are learning spanish in their schools now, compulsatory subject).
Master Troll   Sun Aug 02, 2009 5:14 pm GMT
Brazilian and Portuguese are different languages, just like Dutch and Afrikaans.
Evinória   Sun Aug 02, 2009 8:23 pm GMT
Não existe Brasileiro, mas o Português do Brasil! É como o Inglês dos Estados Unidos! Ainda assim, não podemos chamar o Inglês dos Estados Unidos de Afrikaans! Podemos?


Então, se você aprender espanhol, os brasileiros irão te compreender facilmente , contudo você não obterá a recíproca! Mas se você aprender português, entenderá muito bem o espanhol, mas não será entendido pelos hispanófonos!

Simples assim! Quanto à questão de liderança brasileira, acho que ainda é muito cedo para falar nela. O Brasil ainda precisa terminar resolver problemas internos para assumir uma liderança na América. Mas sem dúvidas ela chegará!

De qualquer maneira, seja Espanhol ou Português, as duas são valorosas e proveitosas!


Enjoy!
Tianjiner   Mon Aug 03, 2009 1:58 am GMT
Harman:
you can learn both lenguages they are very closed and they are quite similar, it worths.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Which should I pick first? Spanish or Portuguese? In fact, I'm not going to live in Latin America (either central or southern).
J.C.   Mon Aug 03, 2009 3:27 am GMT
"Which should I pick first? Spanish or Portuguese? In fact, I'm not going to live in Latin America (either central or southern)"

Learn Portuguese then because it will allow you understand Spanish very well because of a richer phonetic system and if you learn the Rio de Janeiro variety the pronunciation is close to French because of the middle "R".

Have fun with your choice and GOOD STUDY!!!
Tianjiner   Mon Aug 03, 2009 3:32 am GMT
if you learn the Rio de Janeiro variety the pronunciation is close to French
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Obrigado! How does São Paulo variety sound like? Which is the standard BP?
Evinória   Mon Aug 03, 2009 4:00 am GMT
There is no Standard BP! Brazil has its own accents, but that there is not a Standard accent!


However, the accent most commonly used in Brazil, is the one from São Paulo, mixed with Carioca one. This is due to the influence of TV. But anyway, as you will only visit the region, you do not need to stick to patterns of language, just get learn the basics and the people will understand you very well!


Cheers