Saludos cordiales desde España,
Eleena

It’s true that native Spanish speaking children do speak very rapidly, just like their parents. At least it can sound very fast to non-native Spanish speakers.

Regarding your question, you’re asking how do Argentines and Spaniards react to hearing a person from the U.S. South speaking English, not Spanish, right?

I can’t answer the question regarding Argentines, but regarding your question about how Spaniards react to hearing an American Southern accent, well, I think it depends on their exposure to American accents and their own level of English.

I’d say that if a Spaniard has been exposed to a lot of American English speakers, his/her opinions of southern accents will probably vary. I know a few Spaniards who have traveled extensively in the U.S. and say that they find a southern accent charming. Others say they find some speakers difficult to understand because of the pronunciation and intonation isn’t what they’re used to, but not because the person is speaking too slowly. The U.S. stereotypes about southern accents isn’t something that the average Spaniard knows much about.

But generally the average Spaniard doesn’t speak English or speaks very little English, so as a result any native English speaker, regardless of their region, would sound foreign and exotic to them. It would be like an American who knows a few words of French but can’t distinguish a Paris accent from a Quebec one.

Hope this helps and perhaps some other readers of this blog might see this comment and wish to add something.

Good luck!
Eleena

Since people in Spain talk super-fast, and people in Texas and the Southern US talk slowly; I wonder how each perceives the rate of speaking.

For example, a ten-year-old in Texas that talked this fast would be considered rude and sassy. As a teacher of that child, I would advise that other people feel insulted if someone talks that way to them…assuming that the fast talker does not care about communicating…and does not care about the people that are listening.

And, built into the American language, the idea of a “fast talker” or “talk fast” is associated with deception. “Shifty” sales people, con artists playing confidence games, scamer artists, used car salesmen and other social-undesirables are described as “fast talking.”

Texans may assume that the person who is talking at a rapid rate “has something to hide,” and that the fast talking person is talking fast to eliminate “time to think” from the communication: so that the listener doesn’t have time to engage higher-order thinking skills such as analysis or evaluation.

How do people in Spain (or Argentina) react when they hear the slow drawl of Texans, or the soft, breathy lilt of a “Southern Belle?”

Do they think that we are “stupid” or “dull” for talking the way we do?

Thanks for your help.

Dedo pulgar: thumb

Dedo índice: index finger

Dedo corazón: middle finger

Dedo anular: ring finger

Dedo meñique: pinky finger

INSTRUCTIONS: Start with both hands behind your back. When you get to the line “Aquí estoy” show your hands with only the thumbs raised. When you sing “Gusto en saludarte” bend both thumbs so it looks like they are waving at each other. At the line “Ya me voy,” hide one of your hands behind your back. “Yo también,” hide the other hand behind your back. Repeat from the beginning for each finger until the end and finish with both hands waving.

INSTRUCCIONES: “Dedo Pulgar ¿dónde estás?” manos escondidas detrás de la espalda.
“Aquí estoy”: Enseñar las manos con los pulgares en alto.
“Gusto en saludarte”: Flexionar los dedos varias veces como si se saludaran.
“Ya me voy” Esconder una mano detrás de la espalda.
“Yo también”: Esconder la otra mano detrás de la espalda.
Repita los pasos para cada dedo hasta el final y saludarse con ambas manos.

Muchas gracias por visitar y escribir en mi blog. Me alegra mucho que os haya gustado esta canción.

Hello to everyone from Connecticut!
Thanks so much for visiting and writing on my blog. I’m very happy that you liked the song.

Hugs,
Cody

peace out.

Gracias!

PS: shut up, Joe.

Gracias.

R. Frink
EE. UU

los estudiantes.

I was finally able to come over to Cody’s Cuentos and spend some time looking around and I think it’s very cool!

I just played “Dedo Pulgar” for my daughter – who had heard it before in the form of Frere Jacques – and she was laughing all the way through. I guess because she could recognize it and because of Lidia’s voice!

Also, thanks for the comments about SB and for blogging about us!!

How’s Spain treating you?

lOv33 AlwAySs
ClAudIA g.=)

I sing this song with preschoolers all the time and don’t really worry about them using their middle finger. I figure that it’s not as if the gesture is inherently bad; it’s the intention behing the gesture that makes it rude. Older kids might get worried or giggly about using their middle finger, but preschoolers aren’t even aware that there could be any sort of issue with it. That’s my take on it, at least!

Bueno, Jason, muchas gracias por decírmelo y perdón este despiste.

Un saludo cordial.

Jason

Gracias por tus palabras. Saludos desde España.