Off topic: "Spanish easy, English hard": a "Muslim fitting"? Thread poster: Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 18:39
Spanish to English
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| Consonant confusion | Jun 4, 2011 |
Most edifying. While many Spanish speakers do not differentiate the "m" and "n" sounds (especially at the end of words) or have difficulty in doing so, and the same applies for many English speakers too, to my mind the most interesting thing in the video is the plaintiff's parapraxis and how it illustrates the widespread association/confusion of concepts (Muslim-> Egypt-> [insert figment/unsubstantiated opinion/value judgement, etc as required]...).
Deeply ingrained prejudices in th... See more Most edifying. While many Spanish speakers do not differentiate the "m" and "n" sounds (especially at the end of words) or have difficulty in doing so, and the same applies for many English speakers too, to my mind the most interesting thing in the video is the plaintiff's parapraxis and how it illustrates the widespread association/confusion of concepts (Muslim-> Egypt-> [insert figment/unsubstantiated opinion/value judgement, etc as required]...).
Deeply ingrained prejudices in the occidental weltanschauung can come to light in the most frivolous of scenarios, like the early demonization of arabs/muslims as synonymous with terrorism exemplified in the Libyans in back to the Future, the baddies in True Lies... or the fact that most Hollywood blockbusters feature European (accented) villains, or Russians (and by extension most Eastern Europeans) are nowadays synonymous with violent mafias...
However, I fear what initially started off as an innocent observation is digressing into political territory so had better get back to work. ▲ Collapse
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neilmac wrote:
However, I fear what initially started off as an innocent observation is digressing into political territory so had better get back to work.
"Hold the horses!" Indeed. I just thought it would be funny. No political/religious/social intentions sought here! Just for the laughs, I swear!
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Lingua 5B 
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 18:39
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
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| B and V sounds in Spanish | Jun 4, 2011 |
neilmac wrote:
Most edifying. While many Spanish speakers do not differentiate the "m" and "n" sounds
They have the same problem with "b" and "v" sounds?
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Lingua 5B wrote: neilmac wrote:
Most edifying. While many Spanish speakers do not differentiate the "m" and "n" sounds They have the same problem with "b" and "v" sounds?
Indeed, in the case of Spain there used to exist a distinction between "b" and "v", and it was a distinction one could train.
Today, with no official interest in such a difference, it is quite hard to tell the difference since people don't make an effort to pronounce one or the other.
Children also find it hard to spell the words correctly and have to learn them by heart, even if Spanish clearly favours a direct relation between the written word and the spoken one (as it also happens in Finnish for instance).
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Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 18:39
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
| People tend to bring it into English | Jun 4, 2011 |
Tomás Cano Binder, CT wrote:
Today, with no official interest in such a difference, it is quite hard to tell the difference since people don't make an effort to pronounce one or the other.
Yes, I've heard some Spanish people pronouncing Bictoria (Victoria), base (vase) etc when talking in English. That Spanish sound is actually between B and V, not a clear B as we know it in English, it's a softer B.
People over here (English beginners) tend to use normal Vs when pronouncing Ws in English, that's very typical.
(sorry for the off-topic).
Btw, the woman in the video is so annoying lol
[Edited at 2011-06-04 11:10 GMT]
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| Pronunciation | Jun 4, 2011 |
Indeed. In Spain, I would not respect a teacher of English who does not manage to teach a proper pronunciation. I don't mean the Queen's accent. I mean command of M/N, B/V, long and short e's, etc.
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Lingua 5B wrote:
Btw, the woman in the video is so annoying lol
[Edited at 2011-06-04 11:10 GMT]
And clearly paranoid!
The best was the "Egyptian fitting"...hahahah btw she was very hard to understand!
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