# Laughed at in Guadalajara b/c of Rosetta Stone Latin American Spanish? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 15, 2009, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughed-at-in-guadalajara-b-c-of-rosetta-stone-latin-american-spanish/481444 "2009-01-15T16:20:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughed-at-in-guadalajara-b-c-of-rosetta-stone-latin-american-spanish/481444/21 "2009-01-16T13:11:21Z")
> [@Windwalker](#): > > “Tu madre!” A sure way to make friends in any Latin American country. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughed-at-in-guadalajara-b-c-of-rosetta-stone-latin-american-spanish/481444/22 "2009-01-16T13:51:58Z")
actually, even if what you are trying to say in whatevr language is old fasshioned, or in a different dialect, invariably the people you are trying to talk to laugh, and relax because you are not the typical ugly american who figures that if you shout or anda funny ending to the english word makes you more understandable … Even if all you can say in the language is please, i’m sorry and do you speak english, it breaks the ice and makes people more amenable to helping you. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughed-at-in-guadalajara-b-c-of-rosetta-stone-latin-american-spanish/481444/23 "2009-01-16T14:47:13Z")
I wonder what you would principally be doing in Guadalajara, and for how long? That will have a lot to do with the availability of English, their acceptance of your Spanish, your ability to adapt to either, and so on. Additionally, do you really mean Guadalajara, or was that just an example of a city that you know the name of (because Mexico is culturally diverse, and the attitudes of people change greatly from region to region)? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughed-at-in-guadalajara-b-c-of-rosetta-stone-latin-american-spanish/481444/24 "2009-01-16T16:25:47Z")
> [@Spiff](#): > > Or even “Mi aerodeslizador es lleno de anguilas.” Lo siento, no vendemos musica aqui. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughed-at-in-guadalajara-b-c-of-rosetta-stone-latin-american-spanish/481444/25 "2009-01-16T16:39:17Z")
I heard a RS radio commercial today, in which the guy said something like, “My friends laughed at me when I said I could order in French, but when the waiter came, I just smiled and said _je voudrais le poulet y les frites_.” Leaving aside the fact that he ordered chicken and fries in a restaurant where the waiters spoke French, he definitely said _y_, not _et_. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughed-at-in-guadalajara-b-c-of-rosetta-stone-latin-american-spanish/481444/26 "2009-01-16T16:39:28Z")
> [@Sapo](#): > > A sure way to make friends in any Latin American country. The above may work if the speaker is short and female. I say that often to anyone who thinks I’m not Hispanic. 😉 With a few other words added. I’m pleased to say that I’ve made a few friends after that. 😃 I’d be surprised if it really teaches you any slang. Latin America is huge, does it distinguish between which countries use certain verbs or words or not? Because I bet what is common speak in Guadalajara, Mexico, may not be the same as in Cali, Colombia, Ponce, Puerto Rico, or Mendoza, Argentina. But if it teaches you standard Spanish, although you’d be speaking more correct than the natives, I’m sure they would appreciate your efforts. And if they laugh, they’ll also be glad you’re trying. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughed-at-in-guadalajara-b-c-of-rosetta-stone-latin-american-spanish/481444/27 "2009-01-16T17:43:04Z")
> [@Spiff](#): > > Or even “Mi aerodeslizador es lleno de anguilas.” I found an odd Google Translations quirk with this one. After viewing it in English, I was curious if the words were the same in Portuguese as they are in Spanish. I went back to Google Translations and selected Spanish -\> Portuguese, and this is what I got: _ **My hovercraft** está cheio de enguias_ Of course, not knowing the Portuguese word for “hovercraft”, I imagine it could be something like “software” or “shopping” - words borrowed from English. But then why does it start with “My”? I figured they did Spanish =\> English =\> Portuguese, and this seems like a pretty poor way of getting the job done with any degree of accuracy. I then did an experiment where I copied a paragraph from Jornal do Brasil, translating P=\>S, and P=\>E=\>S, and they were identical. It makes me wonder just how crappy the non-English-to-non-English translations are if they use English as a middle man. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughed-at-in-guadalajara-b-c-of-rosetta-stone-latin-american-spanish/481444/28 "2009-01-16T18:30:41Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > I had to do 12 hours of Spanish Rosetta Stone for a class, and it was absolutely awful. It’s all memorization of extremely basic vocabularly words, most of which are nouns, and a lot of which are cognates anyway. And it pronounces the letter V as a hard labial fricative, which is never done in Spanish. My understanding was that the bilabial fricative alternates with the bilabial plosive depending on position within a word. ---
**Author:** ![kasuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughed-at-in-guadalajara-b-c-of-rosetta-stone-latin-american-spanish/481444/29 "2009-01-16T19:24:24Z")
_Tengo un gato en los pantalones_. I kept hearing good things about Rosetta Stone. I guess it’s back to the old-fashioned way of learning a new language – via television! ---
**Author:** ![Phantoms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e36b37/32.png) [@Phantoms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phantoms)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughed-at-in-guadalajara-b-c-of-rosetta-stone-latin-american-spanish/481444/30 "2009-01-16T19:30:10Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Like what? Rosetta Stone seemed like one of the better programs in my (very) limited experience; if there are better things, I’d love to hear about 'em! One that I would recommend would be this one: > **[Learn Languages Online - Learn New Languages Online: Effective Programs for...](https://www.pimsleur.com)** > > Learn languages online with Pimsleur's effective language learning programs. Start learning another language in a fun way at your own pace. Sign up today! ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughed-at-in-guadalajara-b-c-of-rosetta-stone-latin-american-spanish/481444/31 "2009-01-16T21:15:57Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Like what? Rosetta Stone seemed like one of the better programs in my (very) limited experience; if there are better things, I’d love to hear about 'em! For basic English, try Smart Start. It’s interactive and everything is contextualized. For more advanced English, try the Syracuse series. It’s promoted as a “business English” course, but it actually includes a variety of contexts that are not strictly business-oriented. Even the CD for Oxford Picture English dictionary is better than Rosetta. Rosetta just throws out a bunch of random words. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughed-at-in-guadalajara-b-c-of-rosetta-stone-latin-american-spanish/481444/32 "2009-01-16T21:40:07Z")
> [@Spiff](#): > > Or even “Mi aerodeslizador es lleno de anguilas.” Mi aerodeslizador **está** lleno de anguilas > [@KarlGrenze](#): > > I’d be surprised if it really teaches you any slang. Latin America is huge, does it distinguish between which countries use certain verbs or words or not? Because I bet what is common speak in Guadalajara, Mexico, may not be the same as in Cali, Colombia, Ponce, Puerto Rico, or Mendoza, Argentina. Careful with simple words like \*\*cachar \*\*(\*\*catch \*\*in Mexico, \*\*fuck \*\*in Perú) or \*\*coger \*\*(\*\*pick up \*\*in Perú, \*\*fuck \*\*in Argentina) > [@acsenray](#): > > My understanding was that the bilabial fricative alternates with the bilabial plosive depending on position within a word. Only in Chilean Spanish does “v” (and “b”) sounds sound like an English “v”. In Spanish a “b” or “v” between vowels is an approximant [β̞]with undertack. [hijack]Note to Hollywood: People in South America do not sound like Mexicans, or even worse, US-born grandchildren of Mexicans. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughed-at-in-guadalajara-b-c-of-rosetta-stone-latin-american-spanish/481444/33 "2009-01-16T22:16:17Z")
> [@](#): > > Or even “Mi aerodeslizador está lleno de anguilas.” (Note to self: Don’t kid around. Don’t even bother. All of the “good” bad jokes will be made at least one day before you even see the thread.) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughed-at-in-guadalajara-b-c-of-rosetta-stone-latin-american-spanish/481444/34 "2009-01-16T22:33:59Z")
> [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](#): > > Only in Chilean Spanish does “v” (and “b”) sounds sound like an English “v”. > In Spanish a “b” or “v” between vowels is an approximant [β̞]with undertack. I see your point. You’re saying that the program used the labio-dental fricative. It wasn’t clear to me what you meant by “hard labial fricative.” ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughed-at-in-guadalajara-b-c-of-rosetta-stone-latin-american-spanish/481444/35 "2009-01-17T01:25:00Z")
Please, not the “v” vs “b” thing in Spanish again. They are different and they sound different. When I was in third grade, we took dictation and from then on we learned to differentiate them. I don’t know where this stupid meme came from. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughed-at-in-guadalajara-b-c-of-rosetta-stone-latin-american-spanish/481444/36 "2009-01-17T01:32:39Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Learn to say thank you, please, where’s the bathroom, how much, another beer, etc. > [@Windwalker](#): > > - > > “Tu madre!” > \* > [@Sapo](#): > > A sure way to make friends in any Latin American country. Back in Texas, whenever we learned someone was going to Mexico, we tried to teach him that _Chinga tu madre_ meant “Two more beers, please.” I wonder if anyone ever fell for that. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughed-at-in-guadalajara-b-c-of-rosetta-stone-latin-american-spanish/481444/37 "2009-01-17T04:02:34Z")
> [@Sapo](#): > > Please, not the “v” vs “b” thing in Spanish again. They are different and they sound different. When I was in third grade, we took dictation and from then on we learned to differentiate them. I don’t know where this stupid meme came from. It came from being true. I’ll trust the Stanford Spanish PhD I learned from and every native Spanish speaker I’ve ever talked to over your 3rd grade class. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughed-at-in-guadalajara-b-c-of-rosetta-stone-latin-american-spanish/481444/38 "2009-01-17T04:12:59Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > actually, even if what you are trying to say in whatevr language is old fasshioned, or in a different dialect, invariably the people you are trying to talk to laugh, and relax because you are not the typical ugly american who figures that if you shout or anda funny ending to the english word makes you more understandable … > > Even if all you can say in the language is please, i’m sorry and do you speak english, it breaks the ice and makes people more amenable to helping you. I agree. People appreciate the effort. When I (attempt) to communicate in Spanish I sound like a dimwitted 4 year old (“donde esta la gasolina para le ATV?”\* was one of my better efforts). But people were very nice about it. Then there was the time I didn’t know the word for “eggs” in Czech (tried English, French, Russian and German to no avail) and ended up flapping my arms and clucking like a chicken, to the enormous amusement of the grocery staff. I wanted those eggs, damnit. And I got them, by gum. - I was trying to find the gas station and was driving an ATV, so there was a certain context. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughed-at-in-guadalajara-b-c-of-rosetta-stone-latin-american-spanish/481444/39 "2009-01-17T05:07:43Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > It came from being true. I’ll trust the Stanford Spanish PhD I learned from and every native Spanish speaker I’ve ever talked to over your 3rd grade class. Certainly a lot of native speakers don’t differentiate them. It’s probably one of the most common misspellings I see in Spanish here (substituting b for v and vice versa). ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughed-at-in-guadalajara-b-c-of-rosetta-stone-latin-american-spanish/481444/40 "2009-01-17T05:22:53Z")
Some years ago I suggested a “Spanish for Factory Workers” that included “Speaking Spanish Like a Texan.” To be honest, I hoped “Speaking Spanish Like a Midwesterner” might gain more traction, as either would give one enough command of the language to ask for a monkey wrench in mangled Spanish, but thought the Texan version would be more inclusive. C’mon, kids! We don’t ask for much better than mangled from speakers of other tongues. Why do we assume they would not both find our manglings both comprehensible and cute? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughed-at-in-guadalajara-b-c-of-rosetta-stone-latin-american-spanish/481444.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughed-at-in-guadalajara-b-c-of-rosetta-stone-latin-american-spanish/481444.md?page=3)