The two types of Spanish

I really want to learn Spanish, and I have access to Pimsleur Spanish and Linkword Spanish.

But the Pimsleur is non-European and the Linkword European. I would like to use them both together - is there that much difference between the two?

When I was learning Welsh people (mostly those who didn't speak the language) were forever saying that north and south Wales spoke a different language - but it turns out that it's actually only the odd word here and there, and you can make yourself understood in both parts.

Is the same true if you got to say Spain and South America?

Cheers

To answer your question in short, Yes!

Use them both you'll be fine..
I'm learning at the moment with Michel Thomas and a Spanish for Dummies book.. If you're doing audio courses get some sort of textbook so you can familiarise yourself with spelling etc.

Thanks for that.

The Linkword is text - I find this by far the best system for picking up and getting vocab to stick.

The Pimsleur will be on mp3, so I'll hear it.

That's if either of these programs will every finish downloading given the crappy wifi here - boo!

There are differences in pronunciation, slang, some vocabulary but it’s essentially the same language, kind of like British English compared to Irish, US American, Australian, etc. Grammatically one of the main differences is that Latin American Spanish doesn’t use the vosotros form (2nd person plural familiar), but that’s no big deal and it’s one less thing to learn if you don’t want to bother. Although presumably you’ll see it in the Linkword text.

I don’t know what Pimsleur uses as the basis for their non-European Spanish but keep in mind that there are differences among countries in Latin America. But don’t worry about it…and learning Spanish has to be easier than learning Welsh was!

The rhythm and speed that are characteristic of certain dialects will make them very difficult to understand with only rudimentary Spanish skills.

The Spanish dialect with the greatest media presence is Mexican, but Mexican slang makes a lot of people cringe. Spanish from Spain sounds effete and snobby to many Latin American ears, although is widely understood. Spaniards still use certain pronouns that have been dropped by most other Spanish speakers, but it's good to know them. Argentine, and especially Chilean Spanish, are widely divergent from other dialects, and probably not the best ones to learn first. Caribbean Spanish speakers drop a lot of consonants, especially the /s/ sound, and speak very quickly.

Generally though, any one dialect of Spanish will be understood almost anywhere.

I think I'm getting on ok with my Spanish. I have the linkword books on my computer for vocab and the pimsleur stuff on my mp3.

I have two years or so to learn, and I think for the week after we arrive in South or Central American (not sure yet) I'll do an intensive course - I'm sure there are lots around.

If you plan on doing an intensive course in South or Central America, your best bet will be to do it in an unpopular destination for tourists.

Since there won't be many other English Speakers around, you will be forced to use, and therefore learn, Spanish more quickly. I have run across Spanish students in many places in Latin America and almost always hear them speaking English with other students. Then they will wonder why they never picked it up well.

Anda tinggal kota Malaysia atau hanya pusing pusing disana?

quote:

Caribbean Spanish speakers drop a lot of consonants, especially the /s/ sound

You'll find that the /s/ is mostly AWOL in parts of Panama and Nicaragua as well. (My favorite example: "Como esta, señor?" turns into "Como e'ta, 'eñor?"). It's hard to understand at first, but you know you've picked it up when you find yourself dropping some of the same s's yourself.

Colombian Spanish is clear and one of the easiest to understand.

quote:

Originally posted by Dharker:
I really want to learn Spanish, and I have access to Pimsleur Spanish and Linkword Spanish.

But the Pimsleur is non-European and the Linkword European. I would like to use them both together - is there that much difference between the two?

When I was learning Welsh people (mostly those who didn't speak the language) were forever saying that north and south Wales spoke a different language - but it turns out that it's actually only the odd word here and there, and you can make yourself understood in both parts.

Is the same true if you got to say Spain and South America?

Cheers

Hello everybody:
I'm spanish and I confirm there are many funny missunderstandings to "suffer" among the people from all the spanish-speaking countries, because of the terribly different meaning of several words in our countries. Let me tell you some of them:
Our commonly used verb "coger", (to take,to catch), should NEVER be used in Argentina. There it means: to fuck,to make love.
Our "concha", (seafood shell), in Argentina means: vagina.
In Argentina "joda" means: joke. In Spain doesn't sound kind. "Joda" is the present subjuntive of "joder" (to fuck).
In Argentina "remera" means: shirt. In Spain is a rowing woman on a boat.
In Argentina people say "pollera",(skirt).Here it could be a woman relationed with "pollos"(chicken) or with "pollas"(penis).
Our word "orto" means: dawn. In Argentina is backside, ash.
In Spain "pija" means: stupid or penis. In Chile it's a horse race. There once could be read in a newspaper:"Hoy se corre la pija del presidente",(President's competition is to race today).But for us it would have a terrible meaningPresident's penis is to ejaculate today).

Two?

I grew up speaking Puerto Rican Spanish--it's true I don't generally have difficulty communicating with people from other parts of the Spanish speaking world and so you should not worry about picking the "wrong" spanish to learn as far as being able to communicate.

That being said, I know many people in latin america that find foreigners trying to speak with a Spain accent (ie. th for soft c and z) to be "annoying" at best. Similarly, unless you picked up your Spanish in Argentina, please don't use "vos" and the forms that go with it. Regardless of your intention, many people will perceive using these variations as pretentious affectations.

I generally encourage people to learn a Latin American Spanish unless they have a good reason for learning Iberian Spanish.

The biggest place where I have encountered communication problems is that many places use words borrowed from local languages for varieties of fish and produce.

Also, don't assume that local variation is slang.