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Las diferentes variedades del Mexico y Espano

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Las diferentes variedades del Mexico y Espano

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1. I chose to use dialects from Mexico and Spain for this assignment. I chose Mexico because I hope to go to Mexico one day, mainly one of the beautiful beaches there and I chose Spain because I visited Spain 7 or 8 years ago and loved it there. I have noticed a few differences between the dialect in Mexico and the dialect in Spain. Firstly, I noticed that the vocabulary tends to be different. There are some words such as car and pen that are said one way in Mexico and another in Spain. For example, "coche" is car in Spain and "carro" is car in Mexico. Another difference is pronunciation. It is a bit hard for me to explain the exact difference between the two, but from what I heard there are certain letters and words that are pronounced different depending on which dialect you are speaking in. A third difference is the way that you address people. For example, in Spain, they have vosotros whereas in Mexico, they ustedes.

2. As someone that is learning Spanish as a second language, I speak from experience when I say that this can be very challenging for people trying to learn Spanish. Not knowing the various dialects and how they differentiate can cause a lot of confusion when trying to learn a new language. Especially when it comes to vocabulary and pronunciation. When you learn one dialect and are talking to a person that is accustomed to a different one, sometimes it can be hard to understand and communicate with that person if you only know one variation of a word (such as car) and do not know the word they use for it. Same with pronunciation. If you are trying to communicate with someone of a different dialect and are not aware of the differences between the two, hearing how they pronounce things can be confusing as well when you're trying to understand what they are saying or trying to help them understand what you are saying.

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Las diferentes variedades del Espano y Mexico

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Las diferentes variedades del Espano y Mexico

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1. For this assignment, I listened to the dialect and pronunciation differences of Spain and Mexico. I chose these countries because my family hosted a foreign exchange student from Mexico and she was friends with another exchange student from Spain. They were able to communicate in Spanish well, but there was confusion every so often. One of the main differences I noticed from hearing them speak was the slang. Each had to figure out a way to explain something in more basic terms instead of the slang that they were used to. There was also a bit of difference in pronunciation, but not a lot. When they spoke to each other, both spoke pretty fast. I know it varies from each region, but typically Spaniards speak faster than Mexicans. However, our exchange student from Mexico is from Merida, on the Yucatan peninsula, which is one of the fastest speaking regions in Mexico, so she was able to keep up with her friend.  In the recordings, what I have listed was also apparent. I did notice a difference in speech rapidity, but it varied on location.

2. I think there are a few challenges and opportunities to learning a language that has so many variations. A challenge is that it may be more difficult for students studying abroad or visiting Spain to understand native speakers there. Like I said before, Spain speaks a bit faster and uses a little bit of different dialect so it could be more difficult. This is mainly because students learn based more on Latin American Spanish. This is an opportunity as well, as learning Latin American Spanish helps when first learning a language because it is slower. Another opportunity is that Spanish is very common among the world. In America, Spanish is very common as well. Students learning Spanish relating from Latin America can be really helpful when speaking to those that speak Spanish in the U.S.

- Anna Siegle

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1. I believe that the topic of the different dialects and slangs that each spanish culture and country is always something that is very interesting to me. I work alongside many Spanish speakers who are primarily from El Salvador and Guatemala. My coworkers and I constantly talk about the slangs within their culture and my peruvian/Puerto rican cultures. I believe it makes studying language so beautiful as each culture builds their own unique way of distinguishing themselves from other spanish speaking countries. In the same way in the United States many people have different ways in which they speak that distinguishes them to a specific part in the United States. In the same way Spanish has these different ways of speaking because of how ingrained it is within their culture and heritage. We also always talk amongst my coworkers how Spanish is taught in classes in the United States and how it is vastly different then how they would talk on a day to day basis based on these different forms, dialects, and slangs of each country.

2. I believe that this presents a challenge to people trying to learn Spanish because sometimes these words or dialects of Spanish aren’t grammatically correct, but they are a part of their culture. Spanish is already challenging enough to learn, but adding all these different dialects and slangs that each country uses is a lot more information to process. It's also a challenge to know where and when you can use certain dialects, and which countries typically use them.

- Jj Infantes

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I decided to pick and explore the different dialects of Spanish in Mexico and Spain. From my research I have found that the pronunciation between Spanish used in Spain and Mexico happens to be one of the biggest things that separates them. I have learned that Spanish used in Spain has a lot of influence from the Arabic language in many aspects of words and pronunciation. Also, Spanish used in Mexico uses “Ustedes” while Spain uses Vosotros. Last but not least another difference between the Spanish used in Mexico and Spain that I have noticed is the use of past tenses. Many Spanish speakers from Mexico use the present, past and perfect tenses. However, a lot of Spanish speakers in Spain prefer the present perfect for recently done things. I appreciate how the differences in dialect reflect each country’s unique culture and history. I find it so cool and interesting how many historical events have affected present day language as we know it to be.

Learning Spanish as a second language does present some challenges as it relates to learning the different varieties of dialects depending on the country and region where they are located. I do feel like it is tough to learn different dialects when learning a new language because of how different countries and cultures can have a totally different meaning from what one was taught.  Last but not least, the differing dialects in Spanish also go to demonstrate the unique culture that created the meanings for the words. I do believe that with experience and practice students who are learning Spanish as a second language can definitely overcome the difficulties of varying dialects in Spanish and be fluent in the language as a whole.

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1. I selected dialects of El Salvador and  Spain.

2. My general observation of Spanish dialects is that they do not differ substantially. Indeed, they are all mutually intelligible. This relative uniformity of Spanish stands in contrast with other languages´ dialects, such as Arabic, whose regional varieties are largely unintelligible. With respect to the two dialects of El Salvador and Spain, I was unable to identify usage of a different word or word pattern beyond vosotros-ustedes. The differences were in the pronunciation, cadence, and to a lesser extent, placement of vowel stress. The Spanish of Spain stands out for its pronunciation of 'c' or 's' or 'z', as in 'dicen', 'pasan' y 'Zaragoza', as closer to 'th' than a pure 's'.

3. Of course, the presence of dialects in any language presents challenges to the learning student in the form of added overhead i.e. recognizing and understanding dialects and their regions of origin. In the case of Spanish, the differences in dialects are largely constrained to pronunciation. Thus, the student of Spanish need not concern themselves with writing or reading Spanish variations, but mainly in hearing and comprehension.

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Okay, I'm really having trouble answering the first question, because I can't really pick up on the regional differences. I'd rather not go into the specific reasons why on a public board, but I'm willing to discuss in a private email, professor.

Let me summarize what I've learned for the 150 word count: they're all speaking Spanish and that's all I can tell you. They do speak at different speeds but I can't tell if that's a regional thing or just something that depends on the person. Because they are all different people talking and they all sound different because of that, so I can't notice any patterns shared by the audio samples from the same country. I might be able to differentiate accents if this was in English, but it's in Spanish. Generally, when I hear people speaking in a different language it's just a wall of noise and it's hard to process what they're saying as individual words, and that's really why I prefer dubbed over audio. Also, some the quality of some of these audio samples are really bad. The vocabulary choices are probably different due to regional differences (like pop vs. soda), but I'm having trouble comparing.

It's really challenging for Spanish students like me to have so many variants of Spanish because it just adds more things we've got to learn. Vosotros, for example, is only used in Spain, yet we've had some assignments that required us to know vosotros conjugations. Yes, the history behind the language development is fascinating, but I've spent my entire educational career since middle school only knowing about "tú" for the (informal) (second person) (singular), and now you're telling me I need to learn how to conjugate for "vos" too?! This is the first time anybody's told me it existed! Languages are way too complicated.

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There are several differences between spoken Spanish in Mexico and Spain. One of the most notable differences is the use of vocabulary. Mexican Spanish includes many words derived from indigenous languages, while Spanish in Spain has a larger influence from Arabic and other European languages. Another difference is in the pronunciation of certain sounds. Mexican Spanish tends to pronounce the "s" and "c" sounds as "eh-say" and "eh-say-tha" respectively, while in Spain they are pronounced as "ess" and "th." Additionally, intonation and rhythm also differ between the two dialects. My good friend Ignacio from Spain has told me that even within the country there is great variation to how some things are pronounced because of the region of Catalonia.

Spanish is a beautiful and widely spoken language with many regional variations and dialects. However, these variations can sometimes create challenges for those trying to learn the language, particularly when it comes to understanding different accents and vocabulary. One of the most significant challenges is related to pronunciation and intonation. Spanish spoken in Spain and Mexico, for example, have different accents and rhythms, which can make it difficult for learners to communicate effectively with native speakers. Additionally, different regions in Spain and Mexico also have their own dialects, adding another layer of complexity to the language. Furthermore, vocabulary and slang can vary significantly between regions, making it challenging to understand and use the appropriate words in a given context. All of this on top of their very different cultures can make it almost seem like the same language is split into two! Despite these challenges, learning Spanish remains a rewarding experience. With practice and exposure to different dialects and variations, learners can improve their communication skills and develop a deeper appreciation for the richness and diversity of the language.

- Hunter Hill

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I have chosen the Argentine and Spanish varieties of Spanish from the website http://coral.ufsm.br/voces/amostras.htm and listened to the corresponding audios. The Argentine variant seems to me to be very melodic and distinctive in its pronunciation, especially in intonation. Argentine speakers tend to lengthen and lower the intonation on the last syllables of words, which gives them a musical tone. I also noticed a more closed pronunciation of vowels, with a very marked pronunciation of the letter 'll' and 'y'. In contrast, the Spanish variant seems to me to be clearer and more direct in its pronunciation. Spanish speakers have a more uniform and less melodic intonation, and pronounce the vowels more open than Argentine speakers.

The existence of so many varieties of Spanish offers both challenges and opportunities for learners of Spanish as a second language. On the one hand, students may have difficulty understanding and adapting to the different accents and dialects of Spanish. On the other hand, they can also take advantage of the opportunity to learn and experiment with different ways of speaking Spanish. Students can develop listening comprehension skills and adapt to different accents, which will allow them to communicate more effectively with speakers from different regions of the Spanish-speaking world. In addition, learning different varieties of Spanish will give students a fuller and richer understanding of the language. Overall, I believe that the variety of Spanish is a unique opportunity for students of Spanish as a second language to improve their linguistic and cultural skills.

- Gautam Kumar

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The two that I listened to were Salvador and Ecuador. The speed at which both were spoken at were very comfortable. However, the speed at which the dialect of Spanish was spoken in Ecuador was slightly faster. There were only slight pauses in between each word. Another difference was the enunciations of the words. With the dialect from Salvador, special characters like "rr" were accentuated and made very distinct. Additionally, in the dialect from Salvador, the words were spoken sharply. With the audio from Ecuador, the words were more slurred together to create a more continuous flow.

Some of the challenges that comes with learning different dialects of Spanish is identifying, in real time, the differences. Unless you are surrounded by others who speak a specific dialect of Spanish, it can be very difficult to determine which dialect they are speaking. What does help is knowing the differences based on regions. Understanding each regions differences when it comes to Spanish would vastly improve understanding of that region and of Spanish as well. Another challenge that comes to mind is that students may have trouble keeping up with so many dialects. Because there are numerous regions of the world that speak Spanish, students would need to learn those different dialects and be able to switch between them based on geography.

- Jua Vang

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1. I decided to listen to the differences between Spain and Mexico. The biggest difference between the two was that in Spain, “S” is pronounced the same way we pronounce “th” while in Mexico “S” is pronounced how we are used to. I also know that it is common in Spain to use “vosotros” and in Mexico “usted” is used. I grew up with a lot of friends that speak Spanish fluently and have heard the way they speak to their families. This past fall semester I lived in Madrid, Spain and I very quickly noticed those small differences I mentioned previously. I also noticed that people speak very quickly in Spain, making it sometimes difficult to understand, even for my friend who I lived with and was fluent in spanish. When listening to the two audios, I noticed that the words in Mexico are better enunciated than in Spain, which is also something I had noticed when living there too.

2. A challenge that Spanish students have to face is probably being able to keep up with the different dialects or atleast having to learn how to use context clues when trying to understand Spanish in a different dialect than what they are used to. It can be difficult keeping up with them and potentially slow down their learning process. Though, because there are so many dialects, people are able to enrich their knowledge on the different Latin American cultures. More so, if a Spanish student is planning on living in Spain they are able to cater their learning to Spain’s Spanish in order to better acclimate to the country.

Shewa Hasanzade

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1.  The two dialects I listened to were Cordoba in Argentina and San Juan in Puerto Rico.  One major difference between these two dialects are the pronunciations especially at the ends of words.  In the Puerto Rican dialect, the final one or two letters are not enunciated as they are in Argentina, especially if the letter at the end of the word is 's'.  Another difference between these two dialect are the rhythms by which they speak.  Although both dialects speak very quickly, Argentina enunciates the words more clearly while in Puerto Rico, sections of words would be dropped off in favor of speed.  There are also different parts of words that are emphasized between the two dialects and a difference in the pronunciation of 'll'.  In Puerto Rico, the 'll' is pronounced like a 'y' while in Argentina, it is pronounced more like a 'j'.

2. Concerning students studying Spanish, just like any other languages, there are benefits and drawbacks to the existence of regional dialects.  Some benefits of there being regional dialects are that learning about these difference dialects can bring the student closer to the language itself.  Some drawbacks of the existence of regional dialects to students are that if students are not introduced to varying vocabulary and pronunciations, there can be a language block that limits understanding.  It can also make things more complicated depending on linguistic context.

Katia McCuen

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Para este ejercicio yo elegí Colombia y México. Como yo soy mexicana me intereso escuchar como el español mexicano se compara con el de Colombia. En mi opinión, el español es hablado más rápido que en Colombia. En Colombia se habla mas despacio y con más tranquilidad, también lo que note es que los colombianos no usan la “r” fuerte como “perro” en español mexicano. Me pareció que los colombianos tampoco pronuncian los consonantes igual de fuerte como los mexicanos. Otra cosa que note es que los colombianos hablan más con un discurso nasal. Así que no se siente tan animado, los mexicanos hablan mucho más rápido y con más emoción. Yo escuche a más de dos países y es fascinante que las personas hablan diferente en el mismo país. Me hubiera gustado escuchar como el lexical se diferencia de un país a el otro. Especialmente porque los dialectos son tan distintos que los locales se dan cuenta que no permanecen.

En mi opinión los retos más difíciles que yo encuentro con el español son los artículos y la pronunciación. Para mi esposo que no habla español he intentado a ensenarle y él no puede pronunciar palabras con la doble rr, como “perro”, “rojo” etc. Se frustra un poco, pero le explico que también ay países que no utilizan la “r” como los mexicanos. Los artículos son muy difíciles de recordar porque no ay una regla directa que te indica si el articulo es masculino o femenino. Para gente que no es familiar con esto puede ser muy difícil para aprender.

-M. Tristan

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I chose to listen to Mexico and Spain. I have a friend, Veronica, who grew up in Mexico and she always says how different the spanish is in different countries, so this was very interesting for me to actually compare the two! The biggest difference I noticed was the use of "vosotros." In Spain, they used "vosotros" rather than "ustedes" as they do in Mexico. I also noticed that some of the pronunciations of letters were a little different. My friend, Veronica, always talks about this. She always says that people from Spain "talk funny" and sometimes she can't understand them. Although I had never heard the difference before, comparing the two side by side has helped me hear the differences and accept each as their own!

There are many different Spanish dialects as we've seen and learned about in this course. I think this can be a great thing as it differentiates people and creates a unique culture specific for each Spanish-speaking country. It can also be harmul for people because it's not as easy to communicate with people from another country. My friend Veronica says how she has a very hard time understanding people who come from Spain. That is sad to me because if you take so much time learning a second language, I would hope it cold be understood in all countries where it's used!

Mackenzie Farber

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For this assignment, I listened to Participant AZ from Lima, Peru and Participant CZO from Madrid, Spain. One difference between the two people is how they pronounce the letter S. When Participant CZO used a word with the letter S, it sounded more like a “th” sound, but Particiant AZ spoke with a more traditional “s'' sound. Participant CZO spoke more formally and used more formal words, and Participant AZ spoke more informally and casually. The participant from Spain also used the verb conjugation “vosotros” which is unique to Spain. The participant from Lima did not use this verb conjugation at all. I have become more adapted to the Lima participant’s type of speaking, and I think most people who speak Spanish in the Western world are used to this type of dialect. While I am more used to the Lima dialect, I do feel like the participants from Spain spoke more clearly and pronounced the words more which made it easier to understand them. The participant from Peru also spoke slower than the participant from Spain, which was interesting to me.

The fact that there are so many Spanish dialects is both beneficial and detrimental to English-speaking Spanish students. One negative is that it can be harder to use the language in practice due to the amount of changing rules and accents. Another challenge is that there is more information to learn that is specific to each region. However, some benefits are that there are many Spanish-speaking people that are willing to help a student who is learning. It may also that fluently Spanish-speaking people are able to understand what someone is trying to say even with less information due to the fact that they may need to make assumptions for other Spanish-speakers as well.

Kyleigh McGinnis

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1. The 2 tapes I listened to were from Mexico and Spain. When listening to the one from Spain it seemed slower and easier to understand than the one from Mexico. Mexican Spanish seemed a lot faster and slightly harsher. I also noticed that the double l (ll) like in “me llamo” is pronounced more with an “s” sound rather than a “y” sound in Spain. I assume this is because of the different accents throughout the Spanish speaking countries. Although it can be difficult to understand, I enjoy listening to people speaking Spanish with different accents. In Spain, I noticed that the word “vosotros” is used when referring to multiple people in the second person. In Mexico (and I assume other hispanic countries) they used “ustedes.” By doing some research, it seems the countries also have used different words for the same thing. Like “car” is “coche” in Spain and “Corro” in Mexico. This is just like in the United States where some people call soda “soda” and others call it “pop.”

2. I think it is hard to understand the different dialects of Spanish while you are trying to learn it as a second language. You might fully understand what someone is saying in one region, and then not be able to keep up with a conversation in another. Also, if you learn how to say a word in one type of Spanish and you use it somewhere else, people may have no idea what you are talking about which can be confusing technically you are saying the correct word. Different dialects also have different slang words, which can be even more challenging. You can learn the language of Spanish but then it seems you have to learn how to speak in a new way according to the region's dialect.

Kathryn Shangraw

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Padlet 5: Las diferentes variedades del español

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Padlet 5: Las diferentes variedades del español

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The two varieties of Spanish that I chose are  Mexican and Central America. I really like the varieties of Spanish because people from different parts of the world can all speak the same language but have their own spin to it. Mexican Spanish sounds like  Puerto-Rican, or Dominican Spanish. I have a lot of friends that are Dominican and Mexican and often talk about how their varieties of Spanish sound a lot alike. I appreciate the uniqueness of the different varieties of Spanish. It’s similar to how in the United States we have different varieties of slang but it has all one meaning. It’s important to know the culture as well as the dialect. Central American Spanish is often what I hear my father speak since he grew up in Europe most Europeans speak the Central America version.

Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world, just behind Mandarin, and that is also another reason why many students are studying Spanish. Spanish as a second language  has been particularly noticeable in the U.S due to the huge number of Spanish speakers which can help a lot when applying to jobs. Studying Spanish as a second language means learning a new culture, trying new foods, and overall stepping out of your comfort zone. Spanish as a second language also has its cons like everything else. Sometimes the different varieties can be confusing when studying grammar or pronunciation of words.

- Valentina

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1.  Primero, de uno de estos sitios web,  http://coral.ufsm.br/voces/amostras.htm o http://prosodia.upf.edu/atlasentonacion/mapa_l.html, elige dos (2) variedades del español y escucha cómo hablan.

2. Segundo, explica en inglés o en español qué te parecen las variedades del español y qué diferencias aprecias. Escribe al menos 150 palabras.

3. Tercero, termina tu respuesta diciendo qué retos y qué oportunidades ofrece para los estudiantes de español como segunda lengua que haya tantas variedades del español. Tienes la opción de escribir esta parte en inglés o en español. Escribe al menos 100 palabras.

No se te olvide de poner tu nombre al pie de tu entrada y de citar tus fuentes.