Majoring in Spanish

As you can see spanish is variety. Can you understand what are they saying?
Espero que los moderadores sean moderados y no borren este hilo.

Moby & Eva Amaral - Escapar (Slipping away)
Abre las puertas de la percepción: http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=jPqDPLvEOdA&mode=related&search=
Chetes & Amaral Si Tu No Vuelves
http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=QoFTODG_LKE&mode=related&search=
La interpretación de Shakira y Miguel Bose también está muy bien.
amaral toda la noche en la calle
http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=ckQmtG6EZhw&mode=related&search=
Amaral: Revolución
http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=qrwwmvHmy_0
AMARAL - DIAS DE VERANO
http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=3HdpHUaM7qk&mode=related&search=
Pereza Todo
Es una canción un poco verde,je,je: http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=HuWJZCKiBvk
El hombre del piano. Ana Belén. Live.
http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=bTS3zZknqIU
Ana Belén - Niña de Agua (1986)
http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=mOy7YxPjiTc&mode=related&search=
La muralla Ana Belen y Victor Manuel. Fundido en negro:
http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXqWYdlTWFo
—¡Tun, tun!
—¿Quién es?
—Una rosa y un clavel...
—¡Abre la muralla!
—¡Tun, tun!
—¿Quién es?
—El sable del coronel...
—¡Cierra la muralla!
—¡Tun, tun!
—¿Quién es?
—La paloma y el laurel...
—¡Abre la muralla!
—¡Tun, tun!
—¿Quién es?
—El alacrán y el ciempiés...
—¡Cierra la muralla!

Y ahora un poco de Zarzuela - El niño judío
http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=NP-v2ObhY-s&mode=related&search=
Una buena banda:
La Unión - Sildavia
En Sildavia no hay falsa pasión. El tiempo pasa tan despacio en Sildavia.
http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=IPoDgvEpNBc
La Unión- Vuelve el Amor
http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=ca2UaoAP050&mode=related&search=
La Unión. Fueron los Celos
http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=jIEXW74KsU8&mode=related&search=

Answering the original question, I would suggest any type of Latin American Spanish because Iberian Spanish is more complicated because of the /z/(English 'th'in thing) sound. Also, for a Californian it's much easier to get in touch with Latin A,ericans and read Latin American literature. Nontheless, colleges usually teach educated Spanish which is fairly understandable throughout Northern Latin America, Argentine and Chilean Spanish are more complicated. I think the most neutral accents are educated Cdad. de México, ed. Costa Rica, ed.Bogotá, and ed. Peru.


Advice: Do NOT try to copy CNN en Español Spanish, the accent sounds very 'gringo' for most of Latin Americans!!

Many Spanish speakers happen to be black as well, not to mention millions of South American Indios. Lots of Moors speak Spanish as well.

<< Answering the original question, I would suggest any type of Latin American Spanish because Iberian Spanish is more complicated because of the /z/(English 'th'in thing) sound. >>

I don't think this is a big complication, at least for a native English speaker. Though I focus more on Latin American usage, right now when I read words aloud (or in my head) when studying Spanish, I pronounce 'c' and 'z' with the 'th' sound. Why? Because I think it's a lot easier to stop distinguishing between c/z and s than it is to start making the distinction. Although many people do just fine by speaking mostly Latin American Spanish in Spain, if I were in Spain myself, or speaking to a Spaniard, I would probably prefer to speak the way they speak. That would be awkward if I have to pause and consider a word's spelling to remember the European Spanish pronunciation all the time, whereas it's a simple matter to always substitute 'th' with 's'.

But that's just me. If you have no intention of ever speaking European Spanish, by all means, forget the c/z sound. I just don't think it's much more effort to learn it that way.

- Kef

Kef, do you have any other trait of a peninsular accent in your Spanish? Do you distinguish between /L/ and /j/? Do you use [h], [x] or [X] for /x/? Just as I have a difficult-to-place accent in English, that combines features of RP and GA, you may have the Spanish equivalent of such an accent.

I only make the distinction for learning purposes. Most of the time when speaking Spanish, I would imitate Latin American speech to the best of my abilities. I do distinguish between 'y' and 'll' a bit -- again, only for learning purposes -- but I focus on it less. I have [x] for /x/, by the way.

- Kef

I am a spanish teacher. Grew up here in southern california. As spanish student's and teachers, we need to realize that we are living in an area where the spanish language is not going to be the same as it is spoken in Spain. If you live in California you want to learn the Spanish that is spoken in Mexico, most Latin American Countries, and specially here in the states. I

SPANISH IS SPANISH NO MATTER WHERE YOU LEARNED IT, IT WILL JUST HAVE A DIFFERENT ACCENT THAT'S IT.

Last night someone told me that there are three varieties of Spanish. Hmmm. I haven't heard that. If so, what varieties are there?

Yes: bad Spanish, good Spanish and a Spanish somwhere between the former two.

Sorry,

I wrote the question about the three varieties of Spanish. I have NEVER heard this. Oh, I've heard about people who use "voseo" and "Mexican" Spanish and Castillian, but NOT three distinct varieties.

Is this common knowledge I missed?

<< SPANISH IS SPANISH NO MATTER WHERE YOU LEARNED IT, IT WILL JUST HAVE A DIFFERENT ACCENT THAT'S IT. >>

It will also have a different vocabulary and possibly slightly different grammar. Also, I don't think there's any dialect of either Spanish or English where it's proper to type in all caps...

- Kef

The only major differences between Latin American and Spain are the use of vosotros, some different vocab and the ''th'' sound. It's not hard to learn these differnces, and most Spanish students do.

With Latin America the main differnces are also some vocab and the use of voseo. Which again, isn't a big deal to learn. I'm from the U.S. and I talk with some people from Argentina and Paraguay from time to time, and we have no problems understanding each other.

I don't think Spanish in Latin America and Spain is much more different than English in North America and U.K.

So to answer the post question: JUST LEARN SPANISH and any regional differences and use them as needed.

where it's proper to type in all caps...-Kef


Too funny!

Hello, mac.

I actually speak Spanish, but I have never heard that there are THREE kinds of Spanish. I mean, what could they be? Perhaps it was a joke and I missed the punchline. The orgin of this claim comes from a Brazilian.