Maggie's Farm

Likewise, in Spanish, he says he can't understand one word in ten from the Argentinian kid next door. He told me, and I kid you not, "It's all Greek to me."
It all depends on your perspective. When I hear Argentine Spanish, with its Italianate lilt - not surprising because half of Argentina is of Italian ancestry- and the second person Vos grammar used in Argentina, I think to myself, “Now I am in my comfort zone.” The Caribbean accent of Cuba and Venezuela, which I see as the Noo Yawk version of Spanish, with its fast cadence and missing d's and s's, is not my cup of tea. Yerba mate, by contrast, is my daily cup of tea- literally. At the same time, my Spanish has some commonalities with Caribbean Spanish, a.k.a. Trade Route Spanish, as I usually eat d’s in participles. [have looked: hemos buscado: hemos busca’o.]

I second gold digger that Peruvian Spanish is easier to understand than Chilean Spanish. Chilean Spanish is very fast. I suspect that Dr. M’s Cuban friend would find Spanish spoken in Chile more compatible than the Argentine version. I love hearing Argentine Spanish, but Chilean and Caribbean Spanish grate on my ears. While I understand what former Chilean President Bachelet says, it sounds to me as if she is talking with cotton in her mouth.

The following countries have more standard Spanish pronunciation and/or slower cadence, and are easier to understand for non-native speakers: Mexico, Central America with the exception of Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay. The following are more difficult, due to speed: Panama, Venezuela, Caribbean islands, Chile. Argentina: I found it easy, but admit that its unique slang can be a challenge.

Women are easier to understand than men.

BTW, one response to Spanish speakers in TX to an accent they do not understand is to reply that you are speaking Chinese. [habla chino].

Regarding people from Mexico, Cuba, and Puerto Rico preferring to speak in English: this may not be a case of not understanding but of comfort level. I have worked with a Peruvian engineer whose English is very accented. I prefer to speak with her in Spanish, not because her English is poor- take away the accent and her sentences are very well constructed- but because I am more comfortable hearing Spanish instead of hearing English in a foreign accent. [She has an MS from a US university, so she knows English.] Similarly, I suspect that people from Mexico, Cuba, and Puerto Rico prefer speaking in English because their English will sound about the same, but they don’t like hearing a different accent of their native language. BTW, Cuban and Puerto Rican accents are pretty similar: Caribbean/Trade Routes Spanish.

While there are differences in Spanish from Nuevo Laredo to Tierra del Fuego to Madrid, you can make yourself understood. There are also English language accents that are hard for us to understand: Cockney English, English from Northern England and some parts of Scotland, rural Trinidad and Jamaica. Not to mention Indian and African English. When I was working in Trinidad, I gave a ride to someone in the countryside. I understood about every fifth word. By contrast, I had no trouble understanding the Trinis from the towns and cities. I worked with a Scotsman who informed me that while I found him difficult to understand, most Englishmen also found the accent from his part of Scotland difficult to understand.

Yes there are grammar and vocabulary differences. The grammar differences are fairly simple: some countries use Vos instead of Tu for second singular. I find Vos easier, as it has fewer exceptions. Spain uses a second plural that isn’t used elsewhere. Off the top of my head I can think of five different words for “blonde.” This is more an issue for slang. Recall that there are also differences between British and American vocabulary: such as hood versus bonnet.

The Royal Academy is an attempt to standardize Spanish. We have no such equivalent for English. One result is that over time, English is more fluid than Spanish. I daresay that a Spaniard or Mexican of the 21st century would find it easier to understand a Spaniard or Mexican of the 19th century than an 21st century American could understand a 19th century American.

Regarding translation: Once in Argentina I was asked to translate a rock song. Upon hearing it, my reply was that I had no idea what they were saying in English. Another time, after I translated the song, I got the reply that she had liked the song until she heard the translation.

I enjoyed BlogDog's tale about Cockney-accented Japanese.

Best looking women: my vote is for the Cambas of Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Often with green eyes.