Job Discussion Forums

[junkyak]

if i study in mexico and then go to colombia, will I get confused?

[lozwich]

Yes. But if you're adaptable, then you'll know two Spanishes.

[Guy Courchesne]

There's a basic Spanish that will serve you anywhere. Mexican Spanish is generally considered to be one of the slowest forms - not dim, but slowest in canter.

For an idea on how slang and some vocabulary differs, check out this website. It's in Spanish, but you can compare vocabulary in an index.

http://www.jergasdehablahispana.org/

[MELEE]

Colombian Spanish is also concidered to be the "cleanest" Spanish. It has the fewest pronunciation quirks--or so they say. Of course no version is "better" than any other version, just different. While you're in Mexico you could probably catch a Colombian soap opera on TV so you can get the feel for it. I think it's funny how they go around calling each other Ud. in those shows, they're in bed together and using Ud.! How quaint.

My personal recommendation is to study in Chile or Cuba, once you learn to understand them, you can understand ANYBODY.

[lozwich]

Colombian Spanish varies depending on where in the country you are. Vocabulary also changes slightly depending on geography. Ways of being polite (like saying "pardon", asking for something in a shop or restaurant) is different to any other Spanish speaking country I've been to, and then there are the differences in slang and pronunciation already alluded to.

There are quite a few key phrases that I have to change when speaking Spanish to people from different Spanish speaking countries, and things (especially that I picked up from Spain) that I have to cut right out of my language here unless I want to be thought of as very rude.

So, it does require adaptation, but it is still interesting just the same.

[Guy Courchesne]

Coger or recoger in Colombia?

[pirateinpanama]

I`ll preface this by saying I`ve never been to Colombia, but with all the thousands of Colombians in Panama, I do have a feel for their Spanish.
Every Colombian I know says that their Spanish is "the best." I tend to believe them. Or is it that because I`m listening to too much "Panamanian Spanish?"
Mexican Spanish for me is the easiest to understand. Maybe that`s because I spent eight years in Houston and taught ESL there.
As for Panama...forget about it! This slang Caribbean language which they try to pass off as Spanish is nearly next to impossible. Ten years later, I`m still at a loss.
Good luck to all.

[lozwich]

[naturegirl321]

[MELEE]

I just have to share my favorite "coger" story!!

Loz, maybe you heard this one? This comes from a coworker, who studied in Spain. Then he was visiting Argentina. He had directions that he was supposed to get bus number XX to get to a certain part of Buenos Aires, but was having a hard time finding that bus. So he stopped a man on the street and asked
�Donde cojo el autobus xx? And the man said, without hesitation,
Pues, �por el escape!

[lozwich]

That's my favourite coger story too, from the same coworker!

I tell it a lot!

Quedarse can mean funny things too.. Once (in Spain) I thought a friend's husband wanted me to go and spend the night with him (quedar can mean 'stay'), with full approval of his wife , but he was just suggesting that we meet up for a couple of beers!!

[Justin Trullinger]

THat's everyone's favourite "coger" story, though I don't think I heard it from the same co-worker.

Everyplace I've ever been is the "best place to learn Spanish." Because their Spanish is the best pronounced, the cleanest, the original, the slowest...you name it. Just ask the locals.


Best,
Justin

[lozwich]

[junkyak]

Hey lozwich, where in colombia are you staying at?

Im debating on either bogota or medellin. Which one would you recommend and which is safer? Im still paranoid about the farc and kidnappings.

[lozwich]

Hi Junkyak,

I'm in Bogota. I've never lived in Medellin, so I can't really speak about which place is better. I don't really feel comfortable saying not to worry about the FARC (or various other left wing or paramilitary groups) or kidnappings, but with a minor modification of my behaviour, I've never had any problems. I knew some people who got held up on a bus once, but it was more for money and inconvenience than anything else. They were robbed and then set on their way. General advice is that you don't have to worry about long term kidnapping unless you're important to the cause in some way (or really really upset someone). I wrote somewhere else here about short term kidnappings which can happen to anyone and are simply for robbing purposes.

I was going to suggest you look over on Poor But Happy, but I see there's someone there with your same username, so I guess you've already done that.

Take care,
Lozwich.