Quote: (01-16-2012 01:47 AM)20Nation Wrote:
Quote: (01-13-2012 08:27 PM)redneckpunk Wrote:
[quote] (01-31-2011 09:53 AM)MiXX Wrote:
(01-30-2011, 09:09 PM)Celtic Wrote: How is the Spanish in Baranquilla? I heard that the coastal cities had accents that were very difficult to understand.
Not at all. It may be marginally faster than Bogota/Medellin, but if you are fluent you wil understand it. If you are beginner spanish, you will have the same level of difficulty anywhere.
Mixx
I'd disagree with you on that. I had a hard time understanding the Spanish on the coast and my spanish is good/very good. They speak extremely fast and drop the "s" in words.
If you can barely get by in Bogota with your Spanish then the coast will whip your ass, imo.
I'd definitely agree with redneckpunk here. I know Mixx is latino (Colombian?) so I assume he grew up exposed to/speaking Spanish, which probably means there's not an accent out there that throws him. I on the other hand didn't start studying it til college, and only achieved fluency through a hell of a lot of hard work. From that perspective I can say that for me and for most gringos I know Costeno Spanish is on a whole other level of difficulty. It's not just how fast they speak it, but also the sounds they drop and/or mumble and the slang they throw in. My Spanish is to the point where I'm constantly being mistaken for an Argentine in Colombia, but when I'm on the coast I really have to pay attention. That said, I'm sure if you spent any serious time there your ear would calibrate quickly.