Was just about to select my language school here, but wondered if anyone had heard of a school that specifically taught with a "normal" spanish accent, as in the future I will probably be using my spanish more outside of argentina than within...
Language school without Argentinian accent?
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sesamosinsal
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Spanish is my second language. I've been learning since I was 13-years-old. When I speak, I do have quite a heavy Argentine accent. I've had to use my Spanish in rather professional, important settings outside of Argentina on many occasions -- as in discussions with government officials from other Spanish-speaking countries. Yes, I do get jokes about the Argentine accent, and some people fail to realize that I'm from the United States. However, the accent has never been a problem. It's still Spanish, after all.
Napoleon
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Like Bradleyhale, I've had Mexicans in the US think that I might be from Argentina even though my Spanish doesn't exactly flow and my English in the conversation was par excellence.
That being said, I think that Lee will tell you that Colombia is an EXCELLENT place to learn Spanish without an Argentine accent.
That being said, I think that Lee will tell you that Colombia is an EXCELLENT place to learn Spanish without an Argentine accent.
djw said:
Accents are pretty hard to put on and use all the time. Unless your teachers are actual Spaniards who are down here teaching Spanish, I doubt you'll be able to find a teacher who will assume a spanish accent all the time.
Plus, don't worry about it. It'll be years before you have an accent that is anything other than a strong "obviously-nonnative-speaker"
Napoleon said:Like Bradleyhale, I've had Mexicans in the US think that I might be from Argentina even though my Spanish doesn't exactly flow and my English in the conversation was par excellence.
That being said, I think that Lee will tell you that Colombia is an EXCELLENT place to learn Spanish without an Argentine accent.
I agree, Colombians (and Venezuelans) have what many consider the most 'neutral' dialect of Spanish (especially from Bogotá).
However, Colombian Spanish also has a more 'j' sound for the 'll'. Just something to keep in mind. I had developed the Argentinean accent while living in Cap. Fed. Now, as a Spanish teacher in the US, I'm not allowed to teach my students with an Argentinean accent!
Apparently, according to my boss (also Argentinean), Argentinean Spanish is too 'regionalized' and it would confuse the students. With that in mind, everyone still understands everyone just fine. It's that my Peruvian coworkers get a kick out of my 'me shamo Ana' when I introduce myself at work.
sesamosinsal
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anabeeare said:I had developed the Argentinean accent while living in Cap. Fed. Now, as a Spanish teacher in the US, I'm not allowed to teach my students with an Argentinean accent!
How do you not teach something that's regionalized? In Colombia alone, some people use strictly tú for informal situations, while others use vos or usted -- yes, usted for informal situations.
When I saw the movie, "Maria Full of Grace", I heard all three being used informally, mostly usted. Even if it's not just pronouns, you have tons of words that differ. Coger in Spain is OK, but not here. Mesera in Mexico, but not in Argentina -- Moza is preferred in Argentina, but a Moza can be a married man's lady friend in Colombia. Que chido, wey/Que copado, boludo ... In Ecuador, they call you "mi señor" or "mi rey", and hardly ever say "de nada" when you say "gracias," but "a la orden" instead. Mi pana, mi hermano...pileta, piscina...vereda, acera... I could go on all day.
I think it would be very confusing to teach various regions. But teaching strictly Argentine Spanish is no different than teaching whatever Spanish they teach in the United States, mostly the Mexican variety, I assume? (A monster of different Spanish accents/words in itself..)
bradlyhale said:How do you not teach something that's regionalized? In Colombia alone, some people use strictly tú for informal situations, while others use vos or usted -- yes, usted for informal situations.
Even if it's not just pronouns, you have tons of words that differ. Coger in Spain is OK, but not here. Mesera in Mexico, but not in Argentina -- Moza is preferred in Argentina, but a Moza can be a married man's lady friend in Colombia. Que chido, wey/Que copado, boludo ... In Ecuador, they call you "mi señor" or "mi rey", and hardly ever say "de nada" when you say "gracias," but "a la orden" instead. Mi pana, mi hermano...pileta, piscina...vereda, acera... I could go on all day.
I think it would be very confusing to teach various regions. But teaching strictly Argentine Spanish is no different than teaching whatever Spanish they teach in the United States, mostly the Mexican variety, I assume? (A monster of different Spanish accents/words in itself..)
I try to understand that myself to be honest. Personally, in the US (I live in the DC area), I hear more Salvadorian-Nicaraguan Spanish (which also uses voseo). Thinking about it, when I took Spanish in secondary school, we were taught Latin American Spanish and never touched on 'vosotros'. When I had a teacher from Basque Country use vosotros with us, it sounded very strange at first.
From what I understand, 'not regionalized' means using universal terms. For eample, I cannot speak with my students like how I would speak with Argentinean friends. I cannot say ' che, ¡qué copado!' and my Peruvian-Colombian counterparts cannot say 'chevere'. However, we all agree that 'genial' is a neutral term used by all and more importantly, understood by everyone.
Well, for the most part.
elclandestino
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Who cares about accents in this globalized world?
Go to Colombia, Venezuela or even Peru for ''plain'' Spanish
Go to Colombia, Venezuela or even Peru for ''plain'' Spanish
