May 2nd, 2005 Posted in Spanish Studies | No Comments »
This is obviously the first question you’re going to be asking yourself if you’ve decided to take a Spanish language course abroad. People have perhaps spoken to you about the difference between the Spanish of Spain (Castilian) and the Spanish of Latin America. But, in fact, the situation is a little more complex than that.
Basically, the differences in the types of Spanish language can be compared to the differences in the types of English language. There are different accents in Britain (a Londoner doesn’t speak with the same accent as a Scot, who doesn’t speak like someone from Devon, etc.); then there is obviously a difference between a British accent and an American accent; finally, within the USA there are also big differences (you can immediately tell a Texan from a New Yorker, or from a Californian, etc.). In spite of all these differences, we can usually understand each other without too many problems, although a foreign student of English may have more problems if s/he has become accustomed to only one form of English.
Exactly the same thing happens with Spanish: there are different accents within Spain (the Castilian spoken in Castille, that of Andalusia, Extremadura, etc.); then there is a difference between Spanish and Latin American accents; finally, the range of accents within Latin America is also great (a Mexican and an Argentinean, for example, sound just as distinct – or probably more so – as a Texan and New Yorker). Again, Spanish speakers, of whatever nationality, don’t have too many problems understanding each other. However, a student of Spanish who has only heard Spanish as spoken in Spain may have problems at first in understanding, for example, a Mexican - until s/he gets used to the new accent.
Therefore, the country you choose for your Spanish language school abroad should really depend on your purpose for learning Spanish - or, to be more precise, the type (or nationality) of people you’re going to be talking to in Spanish. If you’re going to be talking mainly to Spanish people, go to Spain; if you’re going to be talking mainly to Mexicans, go to Mexico; etc.
In some cases you perhaps don’t know which type of Spanish-speaker you’re going to be in contact with, or perhaps your profession requires you to speak to all different nationalities of Latin Americans. In this case, it’s a good idea to find a country with a kind of neutral accent. In this case, your ideal Spanish language school abroad could well be located in Ecuador or Chile - both of these countries have accents that are easily understood all over Latin America (and in Spain).
Finally, if your interest is in learning Spanish for general culture, the best advice I can give you is to choose the country you most want to visit!
In a future posting we’ll be talking about choosing the right location, choosing the right type of course, and choosing the right school.
¡Hasta luego, amigos!