Before starting my semester abroad in Madrid I was not very worried about communication differences because I grew up listening to and speaking Spanish and have travelled to Spanish-speaking countries before. Having consumed media from Spain, I felt pretty confident I would understand the Madrileño accent. Over the course of my semester, however, I came to realize that although you may be able to understand and speak the same language as natives in a foreign country, there are countless other factors which influence communication and cultural understanding. While I could comprehend what Madrileños were saying, there were so many aspects of communication in Madrid and the rest of Spain that were new to me.
One of the first things I learned was that it is very difficult to generalize communication styles, as they vary across the country’s 17 autonomous regions. While Spanish (Castellano) is the official language of Spain, several regions have co-official languages alongside it. To name a few: Catalan is spoken in Catalonia, Basque in the Basque Country and part of Navarre and Galician in Galicia. Although I was aware of these co-official languages before arriving, I had not heard them in conversation until I traveled to these regions.
These linguistic differences didn’t create any communication barriers because if locals initially spoke to me in their regional language they would switch to Spanish once they realized I didn’t understand. Through classroom discussions and travel to these regions, I heard these languages spoken and came to appreciate their cultural significance.
Next, I found Spaniards in Madrid to speak very directly and bluntly. At first this came off as harsh or rude, but as one of my professors explained, Madrileños feel they are being matter-of-fact and honest. They do not want to waste time, and would rather jump straight to the point. I think this was jarring because in the U.S. indirectness is considered more polite, especially in customer service. As time progressed, I came to appreciate Madrileños’ speaking style and practiced not taking directness personally.
Another factor I encountered was the dialectical differences between my Argentine family’s Spanish and Spain’s Castellano. I use some words and phrases the Spanish don’t use or use differently and vice versa. For example, I am accustomed to saying “jugo” when ordering juice, but in Spain they say “zumo”. I did my best to learn new words and expressions and show grace when someone would “correct” my Spanish. In addition, I did not have the same accent as Spaniards, which they would often point out. Rather than letting myself feel overwhelmed by unfamiliar terms or phrases, I viewed it as an opportunity to expand my vocabulary and learn fun slang and expressions. Instead of worrying about my accent, I embraced it as a reflection of my heritage. I think it is really cool that people’s backgrounds are reflected in their accents and that it is something people should celebrate rather than try to change.
Finally, many interesting differences presented themselves in academic settings. For example, all my professors preferred that students address them by their first names, which created a more casual and approachable classroom environment. The famously slower Spanish pace of life extended into the classroom as it was common for both professors and students to arrive a few minutes late, without much concern.
Adapting to these cultural and linguistic differences was a valuable experience for me as I approach my last year of college and prepare to begin my career. I feel well-prepared to handle communication challenges and build cross-cultural understanding.
