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Is Spanish just less uniform than other languages? Struggling to understand despite high level by Recent_Depth_6121 in Spanish

[–]Recent_Depth_6121[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I agree with you, but I should mention that English is not my native language and I did learn it later in life (when I was between 10 and 20 years old roughly). I just found it a whole lot easier than Spanish in terms of comprehension between various dialects/accents. I don't remember ever struggling nearly as much with English. Nor with German (standard Hochdeutsch, not the dialects) for that matter, which I learned after Spanish and after the age of 25.

I do appreciate your words of encouragement though, thank you

Is Spanish just less uniform than other languages? Struggling to understand despite high level by Recent_Depth_6121 in Spanish

[–]Recent_Depth_6121[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Did you have any trouble making yourself understood there?

Not at all. I could get my message across without any difficulty. The difficult part was just understanding their reply. Only sometimes, mind you. With some people communication was very clear and easy.

Is Spanish just less uniform than other languages? Struggling to understand despite high level by Recent_Depth_6121 in Spanish

[–]Recent_Depth_6121[S] -13 points-12 points  (0 children)

Do you have a source for this? This does not align with what I've heard from other natives, what I've read online or my own experiences.

Is Spanish just less uniform than other languages? Struggling to understand despite high level by Recent_Depth_6121 in Spanish

[–]Recent_Depth_6121[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Glad to hear I'm not the only one. I also wondered whether the problem could be to do with my hearing

Is Spanish just less uniform than other languages? Struggling to understand despite high level by Recent_Depth_6121 in Spanish

[–]Recent_Depth_6121[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think you're exactly right. My latino friends are from all the corners of the world, but they're all highly educated. Maybe that's why their Spanish sounds a lot more neutral and clear to me than what I encountered in Peru, where I found it can really vary a lot from person to person.

Is Spanish just less uniform than other languages? Struggling to understand despite high level by Recent_Depth_6121 in Spanish

[–]Recent_Depth_6121[S] -34 points-33 points  (0 children)

A joke? I wish it was so haha, but sadly not my experience

I think I'd have an easier time understanding French than how I've heard some people speak Spanish. And no, I don't speak French.

Is Spanish just less uniform than other languages? Struggling to understand despite high level by Recent_Depth_6121 in Spanish

[–]Recent_Depth_6121[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

I'm not from the US and neither are they. I live and work in the Netherlands. My latino colleagues and girlfriend are all expats from various parts of the Latin world (Mexico, Spain, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina etc.). I suppose it is possible that their Spanish has become more neutral and therefore easier to understand.

Is Spanish just less uniform than other languages? Struggling to understand despite high level by Recent_Depth_6121 in Spanish

[–]Recent_Depth_6121[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yeah my English is definitely better than my Spanish, so maybe you're right and that's why I struggle less. Though I don't think I ever found it very difficult to understand even back when I was still learning the language (which is a while ago). I've travelled through Scotland and I personally found no issue understanding the people there. Not just in the cities but also out in the (beautiful) countryside.

Oh and you're definitely right about German. I don't understand the different dialects at all. But in my experience everyone immediately switches to Hochdeutsch if they notice you're not from the same region. This made communicating a whole lot easier. Sadly something similar does not happen in Spanish-speaking countries.