Very important in S. Florida to espeak e despanish

[RkyMtnHigh 0]

So I tried tonight to E-speak edespanish with a spanish speaking skydiver and he laughed his ass off and said "please never do that again" He said I had a funny accent ROTFLMAO...Who has the funny accent? hmmmmmmmmmmmm

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[n2skdvn 0]

should of seen me in south america trying to speak spanish.....

if my calculations are correct SLINKY + ESCULATOR = EVERLASTING FUN
my site

[RkyMtnHigh 0]

Didn't work, eh?

Wait a minute Kreg, I thought you'd be in France having some Frrrrrrrrranch Toast by now

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[stitch 0]

Thats the reason I go no further south than ST.Lucie county..........No passport ya know

"No cookies for you"- GFD
"I don't think I like the sound of that" ~ MB65
Don't be a "Racer Hater"

[n2skdvn 0]

begining of june... see other post.

if my calculations are correct SLINKY + ESCULATOR = EVERLASTING FUN
my site

[ROK 0]

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So I tried tonight to E-speak edespanish with a spanish speaking skydiver and he laughed his ass off and said "please never do that again" He said I had a funny accent ROTFLMAO...Who has the funny accent? hmmmmmmmmmmmm

I spend a couple of days every other week in Miami. At first, I felt like I was on another planet. As soon as I got to know some of the population (Cubans) an entire new world opened for me. I'm currently working on learning Spanish and I get some very strange looks from the locals. Watch out who teaches you. I asked this chick in a convenience store to marry me...(the bastards)!

[RkyMtnHigh 0]

Quote

Quote

So I tried tonight to E-speak edespanish with a spanish speaking skydiver and he laughed his ass off and said "please never do that again" He said I had a funny accent ROTFLMAO...Who has the funny accent? hmmmmmmmmmmmm

I spend a couple of days every other week in Miami. At first, I felt like I was on another planet. As soon as I got to know some of the population (Cubans) an entire new world opened for me. I'm currently working on learning Spanish and I get some very strange looks from the locals. Watch out who teaches you. I asked this chick in a convenience store to marry me...(the bastards)!

Any suggestions where to get a good crash course? I need to learn for employment reasons.

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[ROK 0]

I bought a book, and a tape which give you the basics, but there is nothing better than hanging out with the locals and having them speak nothing but Spanish to you. THey also give courses at most community colleges....

If you want to know the name of the book and the CD, I'll go out and get them out of my car for you.

[PLFXpert 0]

I keep meaning to find somewhere that sells learn-spanish CDs.

I can speak basic Spanish fluently b/c I've grown up in Florida and spent a lot of time in South Beach.

I need to know it much better for my job, though. I know enough to make them laugh I say, that "I need to know it better" b/c I'm realistic. But, frankly while I welcome variety in the states and people wanting to make a better life for themselves, I also believe we should have one language that everyone who comes here must know and/or learn--ENGLISH. I would never dare move to France and not bother to learn French. It's just disrespectful in my opinion. Hell, even vacations, I try to learn the basics of the native language---good thing I haven't visited many African tribes lately But I do know a little African that I learned for a United Nations thing once.

Hopefully I didn't just take this to SC--it's scary in there

OH, and funny accent? I can roll my "r"s and speak with a better Spanish accent than some Latinas My german accent is what sucks---I don't have that back-of-the-throat-sounds-like-you're-hacking-up-a-hairball thing quite down But, I do love the German language. Who else calls a pen something as fun as "kugelschreibe"?

Paint me in a corner, but my color comes back.

[Broke 0]

Just talk with your hands. They are a lot like cue balls after all the harder you hit them the more english you get out of them.

Divot your source for all things Hillbilly.
Anvil Brother 84
SCR 14192

[Zep 0]

I speekeee de Espaniiiish, an I'm English, Jo paarlaa de Catalan, an I'm English.
So if a old fatter than Skinny Shrek Englishman can talk three languages
a young intelligent girl like you would have no problemo learning Spanish.
The secret is live the language you want to learn,
or go to Mexico an learn a peewee Spanish.

Gone fishing

[VanillaSkyGirl 6]

It's wonderful that you are taking an interest in Spanish, Kaytee! The Spanish language has various dialects, depending on where it is spoken. It's a very beautiful language when spoken as it was meant to be spoken. In my opinion, any language can sound awful, when it doesn't flow gracefully or when not spoken well. (Us Americans butcher the English language all of the time, after all!)

Honestly, I have never heard a Spanish-speaking person tell an English-speaking person, that his or her accent is "funny". Usually, it's the other way around. I've heard plenty of people make fun of those who have an unusual accent when speaking English. Unwanted accents are usually very difficult for people to correct, especially people who learned the language as an adult. I am just thankful and lucky, that I don't have a horrid accent in either of the two main languages that I speak.

Please let me know if you need any help with your Spanish, Kaytee. I would never make fun of your "funny accent".

[Zep 0]

On a more serious note, One of the major problems I had learning Spanish ( I was 36 when I learnt) was an to some point still is.
Is that the Spanish speaking population are very polite. an do not correct the gramatical mistakes you make whilst learning thier
language , So these mistakes stay with you, It is definatly worth asking the person your talking to, to correct any gramatical errors.
Also for Europe learn usted an for South America learn Vos.

Gone fishing

[VanillaSkyGirl 6]

I am 100% South American. My family and every South American person that I know uses "usted". (We speak Castellano.)

[Andy9o8 3]

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the Spanish speaking population are very polite. an do not correct the gramatical mistakes you make whilst learning thier
language

...whereas the French will pretend to not understand you even if you get it right.

[LouDiamond 1]

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I need to learn for employment reasons.

Then the LAST thing you want to do is to have "locals" try and teach you as you will more than likely speak a bastardized form of Spanish more suited for the street than for business and formal settings.

Being able to communicate for basic needs and small talk does not prepare one for the Business/Political/Intellectual types of discussions that can crop up in business/formal settings. Having spent years in Central and South America working with dignitaries, professionals and even Presidential staff, I can tell you there is nothing more embarrassing than watching a person who thinks they can speak Spanish trying to get their point across in a professional manner and ending up sounding like they are trailer trash from the wrong side of the tracks.

If you want to sound as professional as you would sound if speaking in English, then formal classroom and/or a tape course is more appropriate. Rossetta stone tapes are one of the best series of tapes currently available but they need to be used with an instructor so you can work on accent and pronunciation. If all you need is survival/basic needs Spanish then you may do well with a local and a cheap tape. If you want to take it seriously I recommend you take classes,buy a Spanish /English dictionary to carry around with you as well as pick up a book titled "501 Spanish verbs" as both books will serve you over a life time.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[PRSKY71 0]

"Then the LAST thing you want to do is to have "locals" try and teach you as you will more than likely speak a bastardized form of Spanish more suited for the street than for business and formal settings."
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I totally agree with LouDiamond on this one. I am Puerto Rican and, well, normally speak "slang" Spanish, which is not so beautiful. I met with a client today from Argentina and her Spanish was absolutely beautiful. I was able to polish my skills and before I knew it, she thought I was from Venezuela. Awesome! I DO love the language and it is absolutely beautiful. Good luck with the venture!

Character cannot be made except by a steady, long continued process. -- Phillips Brooks

[ExAFO 0]

Although I am bilingual, I resent having to put up with Mexicans bitching at me at work because I speak classroom Castillian Spanish and not "Mejicano."

Illinois needs a CCW Law. NOW.

[RkyMtnHigh 0]

That's the frustration. Learn "proper" Spanish and struggle with the local slang or vice versa.

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[PRSKY71 0]

Although I agree that perhaps in South Florida it is important to be able to speak with the locals, IMHO if your desire to learn the language stems from a professional perspective, then, by all means learn proper Spanish -- classroom Spanish. That is, unless you will be conducting your business with the locals.

Character cannot be made except by a steady, long continued process. -- Phillips Brooks

[ChangoLanzao 0]

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Although I am bilingual, I resent having to put up with Mexicans bitching at me at work because I speak classroom Castillian Spanish and not "Mejicano."

I wonder what they mean by "Mejicano" though. My guess is that they are speaking "Chicano" or "Spanglish" Or perhaps they are annoyed when you use some conjugations that are almost never used in Mexico. Mexican Spanish is my native language, but I've grown up (since I was two), in Brooklyn, and Chicago ... I've lived in East Central Illinois for most of my life. Chicagoans think we speak like hillbillies here! :-D

I think that the most generally acceptable dialects of Spanish (and English) are radio and TV news people. Usually the accents that you'll hear in soap operas are pretty clean and can be understood by Mexicans, Chicanos, Cubans, Pochos, Puerto Ricans and most of the Spanish-speaking South Americans - just like the midwestern form of American English is the one that is most universally understood, even in places like Texas, New Jersey, or New Orleans.