Quote: (05-18-2017 02:00 PM)El_Gostro Wrote:
Indeed, immersion is key. And accents differ a lot not only by countries but by region and cities/villages even.
I'd say mexican dub Spanish is one of the most clearest to develop an ear for. And for real interaction I daresay Ecuadorians are very clear and - in comparison - slower talking.
It's very frustrating learning Castilian Spanish in school, then learning Mexican slang in the States, then travelling to another country and figuring out they don't speak either. Then you cross the border into yet another country and their Spanish is different again.
I agree that the Ecuadorans to speak slowly and clearly, unless they're the uneducated sort. But then cross into Colombia and they speak like the world is about to end and they'd better say that shit as fast as they can and just mush it all the fuck together. And then they cut words in half and use slang they should know that a leaner isn't going to understand that shit.
It can be maddening to get used to one set of Spanish and then try to hear some other Spanish. The words are different. The accents are different. The usage is different. Sometimes when they even use the SAME words and phrases, it still means something different depending on the country. I was saying "Que pena" in Colombia forever until someone pointed out that it doesn't mean "What a shame" there. It's more saying, "I'm sorry." And I was walking around telling people "Ahorita" thinking it meant "Right now" like everywhere else, yet in Colombia it means "In a while."
And don't try using Mexican Spanish anywhere else or no one will understand any of it unless they recognize it from movies and TV. "Que onda way!" means nothing. "Donde esta la mota?" means nothing. And if you ask for "una Coca" in South America, they're not going to bring you a Coke. They'll look at you very funny and may call the policia.
But every language does it, too. You ever been to the Caribbean or Memphis or Newcastle or Dublin and tried to understand a fucking thing they're saying? As a native English speaker, if it's hard to understand them... then what about a guy that learned proper English as a second language? The Germans can't understand Swiss German. The list goes on.
I've found that since I learned proper Castilian Spanish, they can usually understand me if I stick to that format. It's just trying to understand them that gives me fits. So, just keep trying. You'll get better. As long as they can hear me asking for another beer, then I'm always going to be ok.