If you want to studying Spanish, you've probably done a search on the Internet and even more doubts have arisen. Some of them are quite common: what is it called, Spanish or Spanish? Which is the place where Spanish is best spoken? Who is in charge of establishing the right thing?
Even if you think that you are the first person to think about these situations, the truth is that this is not the case. It's a lot simpler than you think, so let's get to it! Let's look at some of the most common questions and solve them.
The most common questions about Spanish
- What is the name of the language: Spanish or Castilian? Both are synonyms and both are correct. When we speak Spanish, we are referring to the Spanish region in which the linguistic variety is born. With the Spanish name, the emphasis is on the country. However, in the territories of Spain where two languages are spoken (Catalonia, Galicia, Valencia, Basque country...) the term Castilian is preferred, as it is the name of the co-official language.
- Where is the best Spanish spoken? Having a rigorous approach, no area speaks Spanish better or worse. However, given the way people use language, it is possible that speakers of certain areas communicate better than those of others. For example, if you come to Spain to learn Spanish, you may find it more difficult to do so in Galicia or Andalusia, where it has very strong accents. However, in places like Zaragoza, Salamanca or Madrid it would be easier for you.
More common doubts when studying Spanish
- What are the most important errors? The importance of an error depends on the effect and the difficulty of the text achieving the communicative purposes. It is not the same to make a mistake in the use of a word with some friends in an informal moment than to do it in front of millions of spectators. Therefore, the error is not only in the same, but also in the circumstances. Colloquialisms are not mistakes, but should only be used with friends and family. If they are used in an environment that demands a more careful style, it is considered a mistake.
- Are b and v pronounced differently? The letters b and v represent in Spanish the same phoneme /b/. This means that they have no differences in pronunciation.
- What are seseo and ceceo? If you want to learn Spanish, you've probably heard of seseo and ceceo. They are two phonic phenomena that affect the pronunciation of the phonemes /s/ and /z/. The seseo consists of pronouncing with the sound [s] the words that are written with ce, ci or z. The ceceo is much less generalized and its social acceptance is also much smaller.
Although there are many questions about Spanish, these are some of the most common.
