Common Difficulties Spaniards Face While Learning English 

“Native-level fluency” – is the seemingly unrealistic goal that many language learners strive for. Perhaps this in itself discourages them if they don’t make progress the way they expected. Then there are studies claiming that language-learning abilities only deteriorate with age to bring down one’s morale further.

If you’re a Spaniard dwelling in Miami and having trouble communicating, it may be time for you to learn English. To help you build fluency in the English language, you will have access to several clases de ingles in Miami, FL. However, remember that the initial days of struggle are only because our first language shapes the way we perceive –

• How words are arranged in a sentence
• How letters sound
• How vocabulary fits into the context

So, your “unique” struggles will find common ground with fellow Spanish speakers. This guide will discuss universal challenges Spaniards face while learning English.

Spanish 🡪 English – Common Problems

Nearly 58.5% of Miami’s populace speaks Spanish as their first language. However, out of these, half of them can’t speak English well! Are you also among the 29% and wish to learn English? Then, you might identify yourself with the following challenges, especially while starting.

Pronunciation

Despite mastering vocabulary and grammar, Spanish speakers face problems with pronunciation because Spanish is a phonetic language. This means each of its letters sounds the same in every context.

For instance – the letter ‘e’ in Spanish will be pronounced like the letter in ‘bet.’ However, there are four ways to pronounce ‘e’ in English: ‘ eat,’ ‘enough,’ ‘edit,’ and ‘take’ (where ‘e’ is silent altogether!).

While top clases de ingles in Miami, FL, will help you overcome such difficulties, you can use some strategies to improve – slow your speech to focus on accuracy, record yourself to identify errors, and practice speaking in front of a mirror.

Literal Translations

This is a difficulty that any native speaker can face while learning some other language. One’s instinct is to transliterate or convert expressions or phrases word-for-word. But, this may lead to grammatical errors.

For instance – Estoy de Acuerdo would be transliterated as “I agree” instead of “I agree.” Similarly, DijeQue no would be transliterated as “I said that no” instead of “I said no.”

You can overcome this by maintaining a journal of commonly misused phrases. Try to identify these early on so they do not become fixed habits.

Mismatched Words or False Friends

Another problem is that not all words that perhaps look the same have the same meaning. These are the “false friends” because they appear to mean the same thing but generally don’t and can get in the way of achieving fluency.

Some such word pair examples would be ‘Actualmente’ and ‘Actually,’ where the former means currently whereas the latter implies the truth of something. Another word pair would be ‘Carpeta’ and ‘Carpet,’ whereas the former implies a folder and the latter means a covering for the floor.

This challenge can be overcome by forming a list of ‘false friends’ and going through it regularly.

A Brief Afterword

The above-mentioned are the three most common problems faced by native Spanish speakers while learning English. However, there could be others, such as grammatical differences and words with multiple meanings.

In any case, knowing your challenge spots is the first step in overcoming them. Plus, reliable clases de ingles in Miami, FL, will support you in all these areas to strengthen your English-speaking skills drastically. So, ditch the fear, identify your weaknesses, and ace the English language!