Language tips

In Chihuahua, the way that they pronounce their CH is a SH sound instead of a CH sound. So, instead of saying CHI-wah-wah, you would say SHI-wah-wah. And that's how someone from Chihuahua will say it.

Video 2 Transcript

So something that helped me learn Spanish down when I was in Mexico, when you look at an object, recall the word in Spanish first instead of just thinking of the object in English. So when I looked at a wall when I was in Mexico, I wouldn't think wall, I would think pared, right off. And so that kind of helped my mind switch from kind of like an English mindset to a Spanish mindset. That helped me with my word recall, with grammar, with pretty much just focusing on speaking Spanish always.

Video 3 Transcript

Like if you're super new to Spanish, I was sort of new, like I knew a little bit before, but like not that much, like just one semester in high school. Like just always, like don't be afraid of speaking, just always go through it. Like if you catch yourself making a mistake grammatically or like with vocab, just correct yourself, keep going, don't worry about looking stupid or being embarrassed. Usually the locals, they'll help you out too. Like they're not, they're not overly like strict on grammar, so they'll help you out because they know you're at least trying, which is a very important thing. And write down, write down everything you don't know, like any vocab that's new to you or like a new rule that you've learned, write it down and practice it in the morning.

Video 4 Transcript

Spanish is actually a pretty easy language to learn. The hardest thing for me, I think, was first off the subjunctive, but you'll get that with time. Also, though, are cognates. There are lots of cognates in Spanish, but not all words in English translate so directly to Spanish. For example, when I say I'm embarrassed, in Spanish it's not I'm embarazada or estoy embarazada or embarazado, because that means you're pregnant. So just be careful of that, but you'll get the hang of it.

Video 5 Transcript

Even like little apps like Duolingo can really help actually to get a foundation of the language.

Video 6 Transcript

Do all that you can and just speak a lot. The fastest way to learn the language is just talk. It doesn't matter if you mess up. People down there will help you, and whether you like it or not, they're going to correct you. So take the time and put forth the effort to just talk, and people will teach you, and you won't have to do as much. Learn some of the dialects when you're down there. Take time to learn some of the words, the phrases that people use that aren't Spanish because there are over 16 different dialects spoken throughout Oaxaca. If you can learn some of that and use it, people are going to be happy, and they're going to feel like you care about them a lot.

Video 7 Transcript

So when you go in the mountain regions towards Nochixtlan and other parts, you're going to find that people speak different languages and different dialects. And so I was able to learn a little bit of dialect called Zapoteco and the Istmo, the Istmo version of Zapoteco, because in that mountain area, they have a version of Zapoteco over there. And so culturally, lots of people don't want to change their dialect. In fact, lots of people in Istmo make it really hard for them to really speak fluent Spanish. And lots of people, it takes, you know, years to learn Spanish. They learn the dialect first and then Spanish. So sometimes Spanish is their first language, or their second language. Oaxacans are very open people and they want to help you. And so a lot of times you might say something dumb and they might correct you, or they might point it out to you and you let them. You let them correct you. You let them maybe laugh at you and you laugh at yourself, because those are the type of moments you're going to realize you're learning the language. And once you start doing that, you're definitely going to see a difference in your Spanish.

Video 8 Transcript

Just be careful when you say something because in several different parts of Mexico there is different slangs that maybe if you say something could be a bad word, for example, cojer. It depends on where you say that will have a different meaning.

Video 9 Transcript

You can just go up and be like, hey, obviously you're doing this in Spanish, be like, hey, I don't speak that much Spanish. Like, would you be able to practice with me? And the people of Querétaro and of Guanajuato, they're so nice about it. And they're like, yeah, absolutely. And they're willing to help you. Just take it slow. Don't get frustrated. The language will come. Just practice, be diligent, always speak, always read in Spanish, always talk in Spanish and it'll come.

Video 10 Transcript

The one thing I will say is that Mexico City Spanish is one of a kind because it's just such a massive city with so many people and so many different influences that the slang there is just like none other. People talk a very unique way there. They've got a unique accent compared to other Spanish-speaking countries and even cities within Mexico.

Video 11 Transcript

Try not to translate in your head what they're saying. Just kind of listen and enjoy hearing it in Spanish, and then just trying to put two and two together. Because if you start translating it in English while they're speaking in Spanish, you're just going to get lost.

Video 12 Transcript

Language tips for learning Spanish is to speak out loud as much as you can. Speak along with people, speak along outside while you're reading in Spanish, things like that. That helped my language grow very quickly.

Video 13 Transcript

So in Spanish, it's kind of like in English like if you go to Britain things are different like they use different vocabulary Honduras or El Salvador or Guatemala Argentina or something their vocabulary is going to be different than the Mexican vocabulary So just be aware of that also don't feel bad if you change cities and you can't understand anybody anymore because of the accent change Like for example in Querétaro, it's pretty easy to understand in León It's a little bit difficult because the accents different so just know that's normal If you get changed from one city to the other and you're like, I don't understand what's going on

Video 14 Transcript

For all you guys that are trying to learn Spanish or worried about learning Spanish, it will come. Just make mistakes, just talk, and it will come. And in this part of Mexico, there are actually a lot of people that do speak English because we are so close to the border. And so a lot of people understand if you're learning a new language because they themselves have learned a new language. And so people help you out. A lot of people speak English. A lot of kids speak English well because they go to school in El Paso, but don't worry, people will help you out and you'll learn it.

Video 15 Transcript

Stick to it, just to get out there and speak it, and even though you're tripping over yourself and you sound like you don't know the language, because you don't, it's fine, don't worry about it, because they expect that from people, and they'll get used to it, they are used to it, and as soon as you get out there and you're just speaking it 24-7, even if you're wrong half the time, you catch on really quick. It's not an overly difficult language to learn, it's something that you can definitely do, and in a few months you'll be able to communicate basically anything that you want, as long as you stick to it, and as long as you work hard and just speak all the time.

Video 16 Transcript

One suggestion that I would make to anyone trying to learn a new language is to try to make it fun. So one of the things that we would do is we would choose a vocabulary word and we would have to try to sneak that word into one of the conversations with the next person we saw on the street. And if we couldn't do it, then we had to buy the other one a treat like a soda or a candy bar. And it's a really fun way to practice your language and also getting out of your comfort zone while doing it. It was really fun.