Spanish in Action!

By: Aury Villalona 

During our travel through Spain from Barcelona to Valencia, Granada, Seville, and Madrid, I noticed a wide variety of accents and ways people communicated. Since Spanish is my first language, I’m fluent and could easily follow most of what was being said. While I didn’t have many personal conversations with Spaniards, I paid close attention to how locals spoke in stores, on the streets, and while traveling around the cities. It was fascinating to observe how speech patterns and communication styles shifted from one region to another.


During our visit to Barcelona particularly through our tour guide and our experience at the Boqueria Market, we noticed that the locals spoke quickly, with an accent influenced by both Spanish and Catalan. Although it was sometimes challenging to understand them, they were consistently polite and friendly


In Valencia, especially during our visit to L’Alqueria de Boro, the locals spoke with a softer accent that was much easier to understand. Their speech was clear, and they appeared more relaxed when talking. They were friendly and expressive, often using gestures like open hands, warm smiles, and inviting body language. This made every interaction feel genuine, warm, and welcoming.


In Granada, particularly at the Alhambra and La Cueva de Rocío, the Andalusian accent was quite noticeable. People spoke a bit more slowly, but they often dropped certain sounds from words, giving their speech a distinct rhythm and tone. Despite the differences, the locals were very friendly, and their relaxed, comfortable manner made conversations feel easy and welcoming.


In Seville, the Andalusian accent was stronger than in Granada, and locals spoke with a very warm, lively tone. They often used expressive hand gestures like waving their arms while emphasizing a point or clapping a hand to their chest when expressing surprise making their communication feel animated and friendly. For example, in the restaurant for dinner I noticed an interesting interaction between the servers. It felt like they were arguing or even "fighting" in a playful way while taking orders. Although they were speaking loudly, it did not seem like there was any real tension. It was just the way they communicated, with a lot of energy and directness.


In Madrid, the accent was clearer and faster. People communicated directly their conversations were polite but focused on getting things done quickly. It was fun to notice these differences as I traveled.


Overall, traveling through Spain made me reflect on how communication styles also vary within my own country, the Dominican Republic. Just like in Spain, where each region has its own way of speaking and expressing emotion, we have clear differences between areas like the Cibao and the South. In the north or Cibao, people tend to speak fast and with a cheerful tone, often switching the "r" for an "i", so words like "amor" sound more like "amoi." Their way of speaking feels playful, friendly, and very expressive, with lots of jokes and casual phrases. On the other hand, in the South, people usually pronounce their "r" more strongly, even rolling it with emphasis, which gives their speech a more rhythmic and deliberate sound. These regional ways of speaking show how language connects to identity and culture just like the different cities I visited in Spain. No matter where you are, how people speak tells you a lot about who they are and how they live.