Are You Sure You’re Speaking Spanish Correctly?

Many seemingly fluent Spanish speakers in the U.S. use English-influenced syntax and vocabulary in their daily speech. For example, in the phrase “el presidente fue electo” the word “electo” is a direct translation from the English usage “the president was elected.” The correct form is actually “el presidente fue elegido.”

“Hablando bien se entiende la gente” (Speaking Well Makes the World Go ‘Round) presents 300 examples of common errors made by Spanish speakers in the U.S. The slim, 168 page manual is designed to help U.S. Spanish speakers become aware of the Spanglish which has crept into the language. In many cases, the language infractions cited in the manual are expressions that have existed for several generations now in the states.

“Hablando bien se entiende la gente” is divided into six sections, beginning with false cognates, words that seem similar in English and Spanish, but which are actually quite different. For example, the phrase “to fill out a job application” is not “llenar una aplicacion de trabajo,” again a direct translation from English, but “llenar una solicitud de trabajo.”

Another part of the manual clarifies expressions. For example “jugar un papel,” which is derived from the English phrase “to play a role” should be “desempenar” or “representar.”

The manual was compiled by the North American Academy of the Spanish Language-one of the 22 offices of the Spanish Royal Academy for language arts. Each grammatical infraction is accompanied by a brief explanation with the correct usage. Many of the items are illustrated with humorous drawings, and the tone of the manual is lively and entertaining.

“Hablando bien se entiende la gente” is published by Santillana.