Here you will find some clues to help you out.
Speaking the same language in so many different countries it makes that the Spanish language in every region is a mixture of culture and heritage. The most important thing you should know is that there is not a ‘best and unique Spanish version’ to learn. Speaking in no matter which Spanish version, makes you already a Spanish speaker.
Every Spanish variety has its differences, these differences are certainly greater and deeper than the ones we find in English variations. 🌍🌎
Depending on your goals and the geographical location, your choice should be easier. The two main options are learning ‘Iberian Spanish’ or ‘Latin American Spanish’. The differences are really remarkable, even in the same country, regarding to grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary or even spoken and written accents and stress syllables.
But how big are those differences in Spanish? Well, let me tell you that when a Spaniard travels in Argentina, he won’t have any troubles in understanding people or in being understood.
ALL VARIETIES ARE MUTUALLY INTELLIGIBLE
So, what are the main changes? Let’s check some of them:
⭐ Pronunciation: in Spanish we pronounce mainly every single letter of each word in the same maanner but letters like ‘c’ and ‘s’ can be pronounced differently (like the sound ‘th’ in English in the word ‘theatre’ or ‘s’ like in the word ‘sing’. Specially depending on the region or country and also, whether we like or not, on the socio-economic status of the speaker, you will hear one or another. Some other letters are also pronounced slightly different like for example: ‘y’, ‘ll’ or ‘j’.
⭐ Vocabulary and grammar: on this point, the different becomes huge. While in Argentina they follow different verb endings or use ‘voseo’ (that means referring to people with the subject pronoun ‘vos’), in Spain they use ‘tú’ to refer to the same person. Vocabulary is a tricky point as well, while in Spain they say ‘coche’ referring to a car, in most Latin American countries, they’d say ‘carro’. All these terms are the result of different national and foreigner influences. You just have to adapt some words if you want to use your Spanish in different countries and contexts because sometimes there could be a misunderstanding, especially with those words which have a different meaning.
So finally, which Spanish version should I take?
As a recommendation, you should focus on your learning, keep practising and improving your level and once you are not a beginner anymore you can start exposing yourself to different accents, varieties, learning some new vocabulary depending on the country, false friends…
Your exposure to different varieties will make your level of comprehension even higher, keep learning and practising!
Let us a comment below and tell us which variation you are learning or if you are always seeking out new words in different Spanish versions.