Not the same Spanish

Since I was kid, I knew there were different Spanish accents. However, it wasn’t until I got to talk to another Spanish speaker that I realize how different our dialects are. The first thing that I learned, and it completely changed my world, is that I don’t have a “neutral accent” –fortunately- and that my dialect is not the “right one.” This is a commonly held belief throughout Latin America. I would dare to say there’s a silent war going on to prove what the right way to speak Spanish is.

My second learning is that, when it comes to Spanish, the only similarity is the Castilian roots. Many things change depending on the country: speed, expressions, slang, pronunciation and so on. There are differences, yes, but we can easily understand each other -although sometimes it gets confusing and I do need to ask for a translation, or provide one.

There is such a thing as a “neutral Spanish,” but, in my opinion, it's a terrible attempt to reach to the majority of Spanish speakers. Neutral Spanish doesn’t sound like the way we naturally speak; it sounds overly rehearsed and even fake. If you are marketing a product in Latin America, you really need to tailor your message and speak our language. Otherwise, you won’t connect with the audience.

For us, the only “acceptable” neutral Spanish is the one that’s used in some TV shows (novelas), but even this is changing. We are really embracing TV shows in their Spanish dialect, like in the case of narco novelas. Sometimes it’s preferable in that way, because you get to learn and laugh at the accent –not in a negative way.

Living in a multicultural country like Canada has enriched my understanding of the Latin culture. I enjoy listening to other Spanish speakers and I have fun trying to guess where they come from –similar to English, you can tell people’s nationalities by their accent. Sharing with other Latinos is a fun experience: we try to learn, we imitate our accents and we make fun of each other.

Some facts…

• Spanish is the language of 19 Latin countries; therefore, there are at least 19 different Spanish dialects.
• There are over 320 million native Spanish speakers.
• Spanish is ranked as one of the top three most spoken languages worldwide.
• The Spanish spoken in Spain is called Castilian and it sounds to us like the British English sounds to North Americans.
• The main difference is the “s” sound, which in Spain is pronounced as "th." In Spain, "gracias" (thank you) becomes "gratheas" (as opposed to "gras-see-as" in Latin America.)
• The Spanish taught to English speakers is closer to this dialect; therefore, communicating with native speakers from Latin America can be challenging.
• Spanish dialects use the same written standard. 

Remember, variety is the spice of life -en la variedad está el gusto!