**I can just hear it now.
Which language is difficult to learn?
Obviously they are not gonna read it native-like but they would read it just fine, enough for a native speaker to understand it, I would love to say the same thing about English, German, French, etc. but I can't.
Are there only English speaking people in here? I can't really understand how they can find Spanish so easy.. Spanish verbs are a sort of nightmare (the subjunctive mood is so hard even for spaniards) I mean if you want to speak perfect Spanish.
Even Spanish pronunciation shouldn't be that easy for Englisn speaking people. Nh, RR, Y, and Jota and ci/ce sounds are quite different from the English H and th. In my view Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and Afrikaans are much easier, except some weird sounds...
Even Spanish pronunciation shouldn't be that easy for Englisn speaking people. Nh, RR, Y, and Jota and ci/ce sounds are quite different from the English H and th. In my view Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and Afrikaans are much easier, except some weird sounds...
Well, I don't understand either.
If Spanish pronunciation is SO easy, how come we never watch any movie where non-native people can actually speak it clearly?
Yes, I'm referring to the hundreds of movies and TV shows where American actors sometimes "pretend" they are able to speak Spanish well, just because they live in California. Most can't, unless they have a Latin America/ Spanish background. But it's not just American.
Think sometimes people are a bit conceived. Declaring yourself fluent doesn't mean it's actually true.
If Spanish pronunciation is SO easy, how come we never watch any movie where non-native people can actually speak it clearly?
Yes, I'm referring to the hundreds of movies and TV shows where American actors sometimes "pretend" they are able to speak Spanish well, just because they live in California. Most can't, unless they have a Latin America/ Spanish background. But it's not just American.
Think sometimes people are a bit conceived. Declaring yourself fluent doesn't mean it's actually true.
If they've always lived in the States, how do you espect them to speak spanish properly? it's like asking someone who's always lived in France to speak English that good, actually 90% of inmigrants to the United States from whatever country they are have an accent, why would that happend if it is so easy?.
My point exactly.
But I'm not the one claiming this or that language is very easy.
But I'm not the one claiming this or that language is very easy.
Well, it's a matter of degree.
Can other people (i.e. Europeans and Americans) learn to pronounce Spanish so that it can be understood? Yes.
Will everyone learn to speak beautifully in Spanish? No.
Will everyone master the subjunctive? Big Laugh...
There's a better shot of being understood in Spanish (just by reading) than by reading French as it is written with no instruction whatsoever.
Can other people (i.e. Europeans and Americans) learn to pronounce Spanish so that it can be understood? Yes.
Will everyone learn to speak beautifully in Spanish? No.
Will everyone master the subjunctive? Big Laugh...
There's a better shot of being understood in Spanish (just by reading) than by reading French as it is written with no instruction whatsoever.
"There's a better shot of being understood in Spanish (just by reading) than by reading French as it is written with no instruction whatsoever. "
>>Exactly, everyone can read spanish, even if they don't know what it means, how cool is that?
>>Exactly, everyone can read spanish, even if they don't know what it means, how cool is that?
<< "Tan solo el hecho de que todos aqui podrian pronunciar estas palabras correctamente sin ningun estudio previo, lo dice todo"
Can everyone pronounce "todos" and "dice"? Do you really know how to pronounce that d in "todos" and that c in "dice". I mean European Spanish. I don't think so >>
I don't understand your argument here. The poster didn't say anything about European Spanish, but you said "I mean European Spanish" anyway. Why? Obviously, most of the countries that speak Spanish do not speak European Spanish, and it is not the first thing that leaps to mind when I think of Spanish.
What's so hard about the subjunctive? I wouldn't say I've mastered it yet, but it really doesn't look like it's THAT hard. Can anybody name a grammatically correct example where the use, or non-use, of the subjunctive is unintuitive?
- Kef
Can everyone pronounce "todos" and "dice"? Do you really know how to pronounce that d in "todos" and that c in "dice". I mean European Spanish. I don't think so >>
I don't understand your argument here. The poster didn't say anything about European Spanish, but you said "I mean European Spanish" anyway. Why? Obviously, most of the countries that speak Spanish do not speak European Spanish, and it is not the first thing that leaps to mind when I think of Spanish.
What's so hard about the subjunctive? I wouldn't say I've mastered it yet, but it really doesn't look like it's THAT hard. Can anybody name a grammatically correct example where the use, or non-use, of the subjunctive is unintuitive?
- Kef
Kef,
The subjunctive is traditionally considered the "hard" part of Spanish. I'm pretty sure you have heard that before. What most people really need is intensive listening practice (i.e. through TV, mingling with people who speak the target language)...Alright, I admit it. Even though I have always studied grammar, I find it's a heck of a lot easier to just listen carefully to a lot of the language and get the grammar that way (in context)...Aiee, I give my secrets away for free.
The subjunctive is traditionally considered the "hard" part of Spanish. I'm pretty sure you have heard that before. What most people really need is intensive listening practice (i.e. through TV, mingling with people who speak the target language)...Alright, I admit it. Even though I have always studied grammar, I find it's a heck of a lot easier to just listen carefully to a lot of the language and get the grammar that way (in context)...Aiee, I give my secrets away for free.
For the Spanish subjunctive, I think the hardest thing for a learner is memorizing the two tenses and getting used to putting a an ''a'' at the end of an er/ir verb and an "e" for an ar verb. Irregular verbs, especially those new and to a learner, can be tricky. Also, knowing when to use the subjunctive form takes some practice and just developing a feel for it.
Learning how to conjugate both forms of the subjunctive was nearly trivial for me, and getting used to them was no problem. I think those are actually the easiest parts of using the subjunctive.
Spanish, Portuguese and Italian subjunctive is harder than the fRench one.
You're right kef. The two form are not really that difficult to memorize and apply. But the overall use of the subjunctive takes some practice to get used to it.
Some forms of Spanish subjunctive
No quiero que venga
no creo que ella haya salido
te pido que me des un libro nuevo
me pidiò que le diese/diera màs dinero
Cuando llueve nos abrigaremos debajo de un arbol
Encuanto pueda iré a Roma
Te aconsejo que hables con el director lo antes posible
No es verdad que hayan detenido al ladron
Es posible que hayas ganado la loteria
Os lo daré después de que hayais cumplido con vuestra tarea
y mucho màs
Lo dificil del subjuntivo espanol es el uso muy frecuente de este modo verbal, hay uno en casi cada oracion.
No quiero que venga
no creo que ella haya salido
te pido que me des un libro nuevo
me pidiò que le diese/diera màs dinero
Cuando llueve nos abrigaremos debajo de un arbol
Encuanto pueda iré a Roma
Te aconsejo que hables con el director lo antes posible
No es verdad que hayan detenido al ladron
Es posible que hayas ganado la loteria
Os lo daré después de que hayais cumplido con vuestra tarea
y mucho màs
Lo dificil del subjuntivo espanol es el uso muy frecuente de este modo verbal, hay uno en casi cada oracion.