Just to finish off our exchange of posts...
Shalena,
Just to finish off our exchange of posts...
No es tan dif?cil como piensas. El hecho de que ya est?s consciente de tus errores, es decir, si te comes la /s/ puedes mejorar con la pr?ctica. Creo que si empiezas a leer en espa?ol todos los d?as, a trav?s del tiempo, vas a ver la diferencia. Sugiero que leas en voz alta para pronunciar la /s/ en cada palabra.
I wrote this in Spanish on purpose because of the multitude of /s/'s. Read the post out loud and pronounce the /s/. Practice will make the difference. Forget about your friends and how they speak. They will not change but you can improve your Spanish by speaking the DR vernacular BUT also being able to switch to a more standard sounding Spanish.
This is just to add to our exchange of posts. As an adult who has already had exposure to the language informally, a good textbook for your formal studies will make the difference. Although I believe university course work is the ultimate option. Berlitz is renowned for their exorbitant prices and their 'not so great reading material'. From what I have seen they are not thorough and have little grammatical content. In language you can't take short cuts and a reference material should be complete.
Regarding informal instruction:
Since you are in NYC on a regular basis you may want to visit the textbook Barnes & Noble around 5th and 23rd. I have field day in there, unfortunately my trips are seldom since I don't live in NYC. However, if you are strong in grammar in English and enjoy or can commitment to self-study, I highly recommend buying a textbook and starting the process on your own. The rewards will be wonderful and many loose ends about grammar, the spoken language, what you hear etc. will start to make sense. As well, you will realize that Spanish speakers make mistakes just like English speakers do etc. However, knowing what they are will give you the upper hand.
Some recommended textbooks sold at B & N:
1. C?mo se dice (beginner to low intermediate). This is one of my favorite textbooks. I have the older edition, item # 17 of the link.
Barnes*&*Noble.com - Book Search: in Textbooks, como se dice
2. Arriba
Barnes*&*Noble.com - Book Search: in Textbooks, arriba
3. Hola amigos
Barnes*&*Noble.com - Book Search: in Textbooks, hola amigos
Coincidentally by the same author as C?mo se dice.
Lots of people carry the false baggage that how they speak in Spain is "better" than the DR or anywhere else that's not Spain, but this really only hurts people who sound Latin American/Caribbean if they can?t back up their accent with confidence and advanced vocab (by which I mean US version 12th grade education).
Check out these resources
I completely agree with this. You hit the nail on the head.
-LDG.
