![]() ![]() This is where every beginner’s successful language journey starts.įeeling better about your insecurities now? Good. You overcome one of the biggest language insecurities, fear of mistakes and speaking, and plough right into new territory.ĭon’t take these phrases lightly. ![]() When you let others know you’re not understanding, you learn how to understand. That, my friends, is where the real language learning magic happens. They can teach you the Spanish words you need, or repeat what they said in a different way. When you confess you don’t understand, the other person can help you out. ![]() Quite the opposite, in fact! Owning up to where you are now in Spanish, and not faking your skill level, can actually keep you out of trouble and help you grow. Learning and using these phrases doesn’t mean you’re failing in your efforts to speak Spanish. It’s best to know how to express your lack of understanding by learning how to say “I don’t know” in Spanish. There will be times when you don’t understand someone, you can’t keep up, or you just don’t know how to answer. ?Įver felt lost or unsure in a Spanish conversation?Įveryone feels this way sometimes, but especially when learning a new language. The challenge for the foreign language learner is leaving behind their own cultural influences and digesting a new language with a blank canvas, It’s not easy, but it’s the only way to speak like a native and also to properly enjoy the experience of learning your second language.Full disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. ![]() Our world is a rich tapestry of different cultures, customs and conversation protocols, all wonderful in their own way and tried and tested by their own people. The key is taking the time to understand Spanish culture and customs with an open mind. To a Spanish person who does not understand English culture and customs our conversations can seem tepid and lifeless. People speak as loudly as they choose, people speak over one another, in a group there can be a variety of conversations going on at once, and if you sit back to wait your turn you will likely not speak.Īgain, at first glance, if you do not understand Spanish culture and customs, this can seem discourteous and disrespectful. The accepted rule in Spain is that there are less rules regarding conversation protocol. This style can be tricky for an English speaker to adopt as it often contradicts what they have been taught since childhood. The Spanish custom for conversation is to be generally more flowing, forthright and natural. There is, for example, an acceptable way of saying “Ponme un gin tonic”, using a polite tone, manner and timing. That is, if you understand Spanish culture and customs. Spaniards tend to be more direct in their choice of words, with less airs and graces, but they are still polite and respectful. If you don’t understand Spanish culture and customs you will make mistakes such as this and you can also misunderstand Spanish people as being rude. He expects to hear something along the lines of “Ponme un gin tonic” (“Give me a gin and tonic” or “Un gin tonic por favor” (“One gin and tonic please”). He considers it his job to make gin and tonics and so the conditional “Would you?” sounds absurd. If you translate your English customs into Spanish you can sound ridiculous in Spain.Ī Spanish barman, for example, does not want to hear “Excuse me, if you have a moment I wonder if you would be ever so kind as to make me a gin and tonic, thank you very much”. “Would you mind?”, “Could I?”, “If you would be so kind”) as English speakers to stress their politeness and limit their use of “please” and “thank you”. Spanish people do not use so many conditionals (e.g. Let’s take a look at some obvious examples of where culture and customs overlap with language. In a similar way, Spanish culture and customs are very different to any other cultures and customs. The Spanish language is very different to the English language. You can be misunderstood, you can misunderstand, you can sound over-polite, you can sound impolite and you can sound plain silly. This can lead you into all sorts of trouble. If you do not grasp the mindset of Spanish people you will always be prone to choosing words, tones, phrases, expressions and moments that give you away as being a foreigner. If you want to speak as a native you must also understand Spanish culture and customs. Learning Spanish is much more than simply learning the rules of the language and applying them. To learn Spanish you must understand Spanish culture and customs ![]()
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