Jean Yates - Beginning Spanish for the Utterly Confused

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Under no circumstances shall McGraw-Hill and/or its licensors be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, punitive, consequential or similar damages that result from the use of or inability to use the work, even if any of them has been advised of the possibility of such damages. This limitation of liability shall apply to any claim or cause whatsoever whether such claim or cause arises in contract, tort or otherwise. Where in the World Is Spanish Spoken?

Spanish is the native language of the people of Spain and of nineteen countries in the Americas and in one small country in Africa, Equatorial Guinea. It is also widely spoken in the United States, both as a first and a second language. Still, it is not unusual to hear students say they are disappointed that they cannot speak Spanish well, even after years of study; that they dont understand Spanish grammar; that they are, indeed, confused. and they are put together according to a different pattern.

At first, it doesnt seem possible that we could ever understand the series of staccato sounds of Spanish speakers. It seems that they speak much faster than we do. Solution: Learn how each sound is made, then how it relates to other sounds, then practice making the sounds. Read aloud, say your dialogues aloud, and keep practicing. Remember that pronunciation is a skill that has to be practiced to be learned.

Argentines, Mexicans, Spaniards, and Peruvians all have different accents, just as do Alabamans, New Yorkers, Londoners, and Australians. Argentines, Mexicans, Spaniards, and Peruvians all have different accents, just as do Alabamans, New Yorkers, Londoners, and Australians.

When people from different regions get together, they often compare the way they speak: You say it this way; we say it that way. However, they are able to understand each other when they avoid the words and expressions that are used only in their own regions. Solution: When we learn Spanish as a second language, we learn the standard varietyone that can be understood in all Spanish-speaking areas.

Spanish not only uses different words, but also sometimes different verb tenses and different word order than English does to convey the same meaning. We cannot, therefore, translate English word-for-word into Spanishthe result would be unintelligible. Solution: Learn phrases, units, and patterns rather than single words.

Always practice meaningful expressions in context, and you will automatically use them correctly. You will begin to think in Spanish rather than translate from English.

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