Language is a truly amazing thing. The more of them that you can speak, the better. Due to the world being such a connected place in today’s age, knowing how to speak multiple languages has never been more beneficial. When you can speak more languages, it allows you to have better experiences, have more job opportunities and meet new people. Not to mention that learning a new language is always an amazing way to learn more about the culture and history of a country. This can make you understand special details about different nations and areas around the world.
This is why you should make an effort in your spare time to learn more languages. Although learning different phrases from different languages can be helpful for people who travel a lot, you are better off focusing on one language at a time. By doing this, you are going to learn a lot more and have more success speaking the language.
So, what language should you be aiming to learn? A popular and useful one is going to be Spanish. Behind only Mandarin Chinese, Spanish is the most spoken language in the world. With people in countries in South America and Europe speaking the language, it is a great one to have a worldwide language to your name. However, since there are so many different countries that speak the language, there can be some differences. Between Spanish audiences, there can be a lot of differences within the language. It is worthwhile to be aware of this when you are learning, as it could help you out a lot. With that being said, here are some of the differences you should be aware of.
Spanish in Spain
The Spanish spoken in Spain is often considered to be the blueprint of the language. If you are learning the language, the chances are that this is going to be the version you are learning. Pretty much any Spanish-speaking country that you visit is going to be able to understand this form of the language. In Spain, this language is more commonly referred to as Castellano or Castilian. The term Espanol is more of an umbrella for all of the different languages spoken in Spain. If you are looking to learn this language or even just make some translations, then use a reliable Spanish translation service. There are plenty of online translation services that could provide poor results or other variations other than Castilian.
Mexican Spanish
Although they are both called Spanish, the language they speak in Spain and Mexico are quite different. In Mexico, there are some words, phrases and pronunciations that differ from their European counterparts. As a tourist, some of the words useful to you that differ completely are as follows:
- Bus is autobús in Castilian and camión in Mexican Spanish
- Car is coche in Castilian and carro in Mexican Spanish
- Cell phone is móvil in Castilian and celular in Mexican Spanish
Although they do have the majority of the same words, it is worth noting that these differences do exist. As native Spanish speakers, people who you talk to will understand when you say one or the other. However, if you don’t understand, then know it could be the difference in languages.
The other main variable between the two languages is going to be the pronunciation. Letters such as ‘s’, ‘z’ and ‘c’ are often pronounced differently. This means you might notice some differences in the way words like gracias sound.
American Spanish
Despite the national language of the USA being English, there is still a massive Spanish-speaking community. So much so, that their version of Spanish can differ from the two listed above. You might think that US citizens would speak something pretty similar to Mexican Spanish. However, the language spoken in the US is more influenced by other countries. Some Latin American countries along with countries like Puerto Rico and Dominica have a massive influence. Again, this means that some slang and pronunciation of words can differ from the two previous variants. As well as this, with so much of the population also speaking English, there has been an influence through this too. There is now a lot of English formatting within Spanish in the US. This often means that how it is written down can differ as well as the formatting of the language. This includes dates, decimals, and punctuation. However, don’t let this put you off. Do your best and you’ll get there soon enough.
