Is there a purest Spanish amongst all the different shades of Spanish spoken in the world? What is the difference between Spanish and Castilian? Which one is really the best Spanish above all the variations we can find between Spain and Latin America?
Some say it is Castellano from Spain. Right, but where abouts in Spain? People usually refer to Castilian by meaning the Spanish spoken in North and Central Spain in order to distinguish it from other Spanish languages like Catalan, Galician or Basque and regional variations like Andalusian. In general the best spoken Castilian in Spain is assumed to be in Valladolid.
However, speaking officially about pure Spanish in Spain means mainly referring to the Spanish promulgated by the Royal Spanish Academy.
And what about Spanish spoken in Latin America? Colombia seems to win that competition, especially in terms of intonation and vocabulary. Colombian Spanish spoken in Bogota is considered the finest Spanish used in Latin America and the most traditional form. Unlike many Spanish dialects it has gone through the least amount of changes in terms of pronunciation and grammar, and for this reason it is also considered the closest one to the pure academic Castilian of the Royal Spanish Academy.
Obviously it’s a touchy subject for some, but definitely there are several differences that make one kind of spoken Spanish better sounding than another one and also richer in vocabulary and phraseologies.
What Spanish should Spanish translation of Spanish interpreting services know then? Quite simply, the one he or she will specialise in. Translating for instance Pablo Neruda and Federico Garcia Lorca involves a different tune of Spanish because even though the language is the same, cultures are different and inevitably they influence the language itself. Interpreters and translators can’t be only experts of the language they specialise in, but they need to be experts of the country they somehow represent.
Being the translator of Neruda and knowing nothing about Chile would result in providing a very poor translation service.
In general, if you aim to become an interpreter at the EU headquarters you would want to learn Castilian Spanish. On the contrary if you would like to pursue a career in Latin America or even in the USA, then you should definitely focus on the Spanish you will be dealing more frequently with; either Mexican, Colombian or Chilean and so on.
In the last few years many universities activated several courses specialising in Spanish translation divided by country and region, and consequently by typology of translation. Not everyone will become a book translator. Many will specialise in law, others in economics and others in political issues. It is therefore important that schools of interpreting and universities prepare students for the exact field in which they aim to go one and forge a career. Read more about Interpreting Agency.
Some say it is Castellano from Spain. Right, but where abouts in Spain? People usually refer to Castilian by meaning the Spanish spoken in North and Central Spain in order to distinguish it from other Spanish languages like Catalan, Galician or Basque and regional variations like Andalusian. In general the best spoken Castilian in Spain is assumed to be in Valladolid.
However, speaking officially about pure Spanish in Spain means mainly referring to the Spanish promulgated by the Royal Spanish Academy.
And what about Spanish spoken in Latin America? Colombia seems to win that competition, especially in terms of intonation and vocabulary. Colombian Spanish spoken in Bogota is considered the finest Spanish used in Latin America and the most traditional form. Unlike many Spanish dialects it has gone through the least amount of changes in terms of pronunciation and grammar, and for this reason it is also considered the closest one to the pure academic Castilian of the Royal Spanish Academy.
Obviously it’s a touchy subject for some, but definitely there are several differences that make one kind of spoken Spanish better sounding than another one and also richer in vocabulary and phraseologies.
What Spanish should Spanish translation of Spanish interpreting services know then? Quite simply, the one he or she will specialise in. Translating for instance Pablo Neruda and Federico Garcia Lorca involves a different tune of Spanish because even though the language is the same, cultures are different and inevitably they influence the language itself. Interpreters and translators can’t be only experts of the language they specialise in, but they need to be experts of the country they somehow represent.
Being the translator of Neruda and knowing nothing about Chile would result in providing a very poor translation service.
In general, if you aim to become an interpreter at the EU headquarters you would want to learn Castilian Spanish. On the contrary if you would like to pursue a career in Latin America or even in the USA, then you should definitely focus on the Spanish you will be dealing more frequently with; either Mexican, Colombian or Chilean and so on.
In the last few years many universities activated several courses specialising in Spanish translation divided by country and region, and consequently by typology of translation. Not everyone will become a book translator. Many will specialise in law, others in economics and others in political issues. It is therefore important that schools of interpreting and universities prepare students for the exact field in which they aim to go one and forge a career. Read more about Interpreting Agency.
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