Miss Dominican Republic had to improve her Spanish

[Dolores]

The Dominican representative to the Miss Universe pageant told Diario Libre that the most challenging feat she has had to accomplish in her preparation for the contest was learning Spanish. The professional model spent months in the DR preparing for the contest that will be held Saturday, 18 November 2023 in San Salvador, El Salvador.

“My life is different today. I was forced out of my comfort zone. Today I have a greater vision of my country and more knowledge of our culture. I feel like a different person and that is growth. But the most difficult thing of all was learning the Spanish language in a very short time,” she stated.

Miss Dominican Republic, 27-year old Mariana Downing is competing against 85 contestants in the 72nd gala event. She will wear attire prepared by Dominican designers Leonel Lirio (typical costume) and Giannina Azar (evening gown).

Downing’s family is...

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[El Hijo de Manolo]

She learned Spanish in 2 months.

 

[Big]

Redirect Notice

 

[Big]

she looks qualified to me

 

[MariaRubia]

It's so sad that in a country full of so many beautiful women they feel the need to import one from abroad to represent them who can't speak their language.

 

[El Hijo de Manolo]

It's so sad that in a country full of so many beautiful women they feel the need to import one from abroad to represent them who can't speak their language.

“My life is different today. I was forced out of my comfort zone. Today I have a greater vision of my country and more knowledge of our culture (than 2 months ago??). I feel like a different person and that is growth. But the most difficult thing of all was learning the Spanish language in a very short time,” she stated.

Is this an MIT valedictorian she learned Spanish in 2 months? Is she working with Musk on the next SpaceX build? Hats off lady!

 

[Marianopolita]

I remember when I first heard her speak I was shocked because her Spanish is not good to say the least and she clearly is not comfortable when speaking.

Then I went and read some info on her background and thought ‘okay that is why she sounds like that’.

To learn any language is hard next to impossible in two months. She is not an exception but it seems like she capitalized on an opportunity. I am sure a few local DR women could represent and people from DR speak Spanish….a huge difference.

 

[aarhus]

“My life is different today. I was forced out of my comfort zone. Today I have a greater vision of my country and more knowledge of our culture (than 2 months ago??). I feel like a different person and that is growth. But the most difficult thing of all was learning the Spanish language in a very short time,” she stated.

Is this an MIT valedictorian she learned Spanish in 2 months? Is she working with Musk on the next SpaceX build? Hats off lady!

Beautiful and smart.

 

[El Hijo de Manolo]

Beautiful and smart.

You've assessed her IQ or some other smartness scale? You're very good

 

[cavok]

She must have at least known some basic Spanish. To learn a language in two months would require a photographic memory with instant recall. I've heard of some extremely gifted children with IQ's in the Mensa club level, but that's an extremely small minority. Plus, children can always learn a language faster than an adult.

 

[CristoRey]

Plenty of Spanish spoken in Miami plus she's Dominican???
This is weird.

 

[NALs]

Plenty of Spanish spoken in Miami plus she's Dominican???
This is weird.

Her mother is Dominican, but her father is English. I assume he only spoke to her in English and the mother either spoke to her in English too (there are Latin American parents that have Latino children in the USA and decide to not teach Spanish to their kids, that's how Latinos that can't speak, read or write in Spanish are created with their last name is probably the most Spanish thry will ever say) or spoke to her in Spanish and she responded in English. This is also common, in fact Dulcita who was Miss DR and was born in SD -Italian father, Dominican mother- as a girl was moved to the USA and a few years was moved back to SD and she has said that her mother would speak to her in Spanish but she responded in English and she had a heavy American accent which caused her to be bullied even by teachers, lol.) At least Dulcita was fluent in Spanish when she became Miss DR. It's somewhat common among young Dominicans (maybe 40 and down) to forget a word in Spanish but jnow the word in English and have to ask how to say that in Spanish. You would think they lived in the USA for some time, but surprisingly many of these have never lived outside the DR. They simply watched a lot of US TV shows in English, listen to a lot of American music in English and now is common among certain sectors for people to inject an English word here and there when they know the Spanish version. Some private schools are bilingual and others have a heavy US influence, so that further adds to thrm becoming very Americanized despite they never lived anywhere else outside the DR.

In one interview she basically blamed being born in the USA for not knowing Spanish, which that isn't the reason. There are kids born in the USA to Latino parents that once they start school they enter in bilingual class along with the immigrants and have to tske ESL. If the only language their parent's speak to them is Spanish and the pool of childhood friends are Spanish-speaking cousins and live in a mostly Latino neighborhoof with the other kids also speaking Spanish, guess in what language you will dominate better?

Her response left me with more questions than answers. The article started by saying that she was born in Cotuí, but then she said she was born in the USA as an excuse for not knowing Spanish. Well, you can only be born in one place, so which one is it?

She is very beautiful though, but anyone representing the DR or even the DR diaspora at the very least needs to know Spanish, at least enough to hold a conversation and respond in Spanish. Being of Dominican descent is not enough. Hopefully this will be addressed in future competitions.

 

[jd426]

Plenty of Spanish spoken in Miami plus she's Dominican???
This is weird.

There are NY DOMS who cant speak Spanish.
even MORE Weird . no ?
Especially when you see what they Look like , you would swear they just got off a Plane from Santo Domingo .
I worked with a Woman actually, Late 20's , early 30's ? I forget her exact age.
Not a single word of Spanish .
Her English was 100% New Jersey, but Zero Spanish. Both Parents Dominican .
so yeagh it may be more common than you think

 

[cavok]

When I lived in Miami, I knew a couple third generation Cubans that couldn't speak Spanish. They probably had bilingual parents that mostly spoke English even at home. I'm sure they could speak some Spanish but were probably embarrassed at how poorly they spoke it.

 

[monfongo]

I know people from Belgium that picked up the Spanish language in about 6 months, but they already spoke three languages.

 

[Big]

She is ultra pretty. She has my vote. Maybe she should get one of those popular neck tattoos with "Dominican queen" or something along that line.

 

[Lucifer]

After predicting the Baseball Classic champion and MVP, then predicting the winner of the Miss Universe-DR, I predict she'll reign supreme in El Salvador.

I know it's not a trifecta, per se, but as a know-nothing, happy-go-lucky nincompoop, I'm allowed to use it in this case.

She's my type, but as a viejo, pobre, prieto , flaco y feo Dumb-minican, I'll just imbibe enormous amount of wine and spirits, while I practice the Merle Haggard part of Pancho and Lefty during the pageant's broadcast.

 

[NALs]

After predicting the Baseball Classic champion and MVP, then predicting the winner of the Miss Universe-DR, I predict she'll reign supreme in El Salvador.

I know it's not a trifecta, per se, but as a know-nothing, happy-go-lucky nincompoop, I'm allowed to use it in this case.

She's my type, but as a viejo, pobre, prieto , flaco y feo Dumb-minican, I'll just imbibe enormous amount of wine and spirits, while I practice the Merle Haggard part of Pancho and Lefty during the pageant's broadcast.

All of that is fixable by changing the "pobre" and everything else remains the same.

 

[El Hijo de Manolo]

I know people from Belgium that picked up the Spanish language in about 6 months, but they already spoke three languages.

Europeans have multiple language capabilities in the DNA, you can't even begin to compare

 

[NALs]

There are NY DOMS who cant speak Spanish.
even MORE Weird . no ?
Especially when you see what they Look like , you would swear they just got off a Plane from Santo Domingo .
I worked with a Woman actually, Late 20's , early 30's ? I forget her exact age.
Not a single word of Spanish .
Her English was 100% New Jersey, but Zero Spanish. Both Parents Dominican .
so yeagh it may be more common than you think

I think those are still in the minority. Many Dominican-Americans that speak mostly English outside their home at the very least know enough Spanish (not perfect) to hold a conversation and simply chooses to not speak it in public for whatever reason. They are kind of similar to Alex Rodríguez. Speak to them in Spanish and see... With that said, there are Latino parents that don't teach Spanish to their kids on purpose. Must be strong believers of...

It's more common to find Puerto Rican-Americans and even Cuban-Americans that can't speak Spanish.