How I learned fluent Spanish - Part 5/5

Part five of five. Here are the notes:

• Making mistakes
• Using specific models on pronunciation prior to learning linguistics:

Apical S (describing to Briana like "sh" sound. Not quite accurate. Jerk on bus.)
ch - ts (Madrid, coche y andén)
X uvular - ejjj que... joder
zeta - useful. Distinguish between words: cazar, casar. No knowledge of linguistics at this time; only later realize this is a more recent development.

• Class vs. immersion. Classes not that useful. Conversation useful.
•

Back to USA:

2008-2011 WORKING AT BANK

• Work at bank in California. 70% clients Latin American. Mostly Mexican, Salvadorian. Very few Spaniards.

5-6 hours per day Spanish.

• Every day practice my Spanish. Conscious effort to maintain Castilian accent in light of Latin American influences.
• Sales job = use more Latin American vocabulary so my customers understand me more clearly.

Avoid coger. Customer complaint.

• Spanish of most of my clients not formal, highly-educated Spanish. Lots of slang.
• Monopoly of Spanish speaking clients. "Busco al chino".
• Continue listening to Hip-Hop. Continue listening podcast.
• Cabreados dies. Victor from Las Cosas Curiosas passes away; very sad.
• Discover RTVE podcasts. Afectos con Sylvia Tarragona. Higher level, less colloquial Spanish.
• Continue with language exchanges. Laura from Prats del Rey.
• Emphasis on listening. Correction. NOT perfection.

GRAD SCHOOL
• Apply to graduate school to study Hispanic Linguistics. Get into two of my top choices.
• Next step, graduate school! Yay!

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[cives882]

Hey, dychui! Thank goodness that I found you on YouTube! I'm actually trying to learn the Castilian Spanish at the moment. My paternal grandmother was actually from Madrid, which is one of the main reasons why I'm so interested. But, there are some things in grammar that I have a bit of trouble with. Anyway, keep doing what you're doing.

[dychui]

@cives882 Hi! I'm so happy to help you in your quest :). Hopefully I can make a video soon about certain features of the Madrilian accent. It's hard to make those types of videos because the best you can provide is a small sample of a regional dialect, and you can't really claim that all Spaniards or even all Madrilians speak this way. Oh well, I plan on doing that soon so keep your eyes peeled! :) If you need help let me know

[ick709]

I can't tell you how much I have enjoyed your five videos and even though I'm not learning Spanish yet. I love how you spoke and I especially like the parts where you spoke Spanish. When I was watching part one, I though "oh my God, this is going to be so boring" but when I got to your second video, I actually found it very interesting! Please keep up the amazing Spanish videos!

[dychui]

@ick709 Hi Ick! I'm glad you enjoyed the videos. It came out longer than I thought it would :). I hope you subscribe! After this academic quarter is over I will have more time to upload things related to language-learning.

[ick709]

@dychui I'm glad they came out longer to be honest! They were the best five YouTube videos I have watched in a very long time and I will definitely subscribe to you..But I do have one question for you if you don't mind answering it? I don't know whether you are Chinese, Japanese, Korean or any other Asian country, but is your native language Chinese, Japanese or Korean? If you're not from any Asian country, please forgive me.

[dychui]

@ick709 Hi Ick! I'm Chinese-American. I was born in the Bay Area, CA :). I do speak some Mandarin, but relatively poorly. I have a video "speech in Mandarin/Spanish" where you can see my Mandarin, which makes my Mom burst into uncontrollable bouts of laughter.

[dychui]

@ick709 In that sense, the titles of my Chinese speaking Spanish videos are relatively misleading, since culturally I am American.

[LolJaen]

@jizzy2k Most castilian/spanish speakers have a nice hold on understanding. at least the ones i know.

[Dannieel92]

dude you have to understand that there are many accents in the spanish world, people with good education sound more smart and the accent is totally different to the typical mexican

[jizzy2k]

Can you understand Portuguese?

[ick709]

@dychui Hey Dychui! Thanks for answering my question. I'll have to see that video next. Oh and by the way I've subscribed :)