My Spanish Homework

Me | Hildy

[Hildy]

I'm taking beginning Spanish this year, for my own enrichment. I'm sitting here doing my homework, which involves workbook assignments. I'm being shown an opinion poll "Lo que opinan unos de otros" What Spanish people think of Americans. Here's what my Spanish workbook, meant for STUDENTS tells me:

Question: What do Spaniards think about Americans:

Materialistic: 55%
Think they are superior 48.9%
Racist 48.7%
Posess an imperialistic mentality 44%
Practical and realistic 29%
Intelligent 19%
Simple 9%
Idealist 9%
Have a sense of humor 3%
Have high morals 2%
Here's the best one:
GENEROUS 2%

Am I being overly sensitve to think that this was not necessary for a workbook, printed in the US, about the US? I'm really, really mad.

[Hildy]

That was so funny. Thanks for putting this back into perspective for me!!!

[muawiyah]

Actually, I live in Northern Virginia. I had a few ancestors among the people who claimed the place at the time the first Europeans showed up.

So, technically speaking, I am at home~!

And you?

[bonfire]

Why aren't the Mexicans dying to go to Spain?? And what have the Spanish speaking people done in the last hundred years that anyone cares about? (other than beer and quacamole)

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

LOL!

[AmishDude]

I know a number of Europeans. The perception is, of course, that Americans are ignorant. Well, if you're a member of the only superpower in the world, you really can't keep track of the other 100 insignificant little peons. They, on the other hand, know everything about the only country that matters. All I read in that study was a LOT of envy.

[TheOracleAtLilac]

"Lo que opinan unos de otros"

How do you get opinions of Americans versus just others?

[GodBlessUSA]

LOL! :)

[Hildy]

It goes on..."Como piensan los espanoles que son los norteamericanos?"...the instructions in American read: ...fill in the blanks with adjectives that correspond to the percentage of Spaniards who felt Americans had those qualities.

It was pretty clear and heavy handed.

[Hildy]

Of course I agree. But these textbooks are for students...and it's clear that they want these YOUNG Amerians to know just how horrible they are. And, of course, that translates into liberal ideologies...or as I like to say, the big GUILT complex.

[TheOracleAtLilac]

Sounds more like back door racism by some clever academic.

How many Spaniards know Americans - from other than what's shown on their TVs ?

[No Longer Free State]

Burn an old phone book. Put ashes in a paper bag. Hand them to the 'professor' with your notice of withdrawal from his class.

[Hildy]

I like the teacher..he had nothing to do with the book. And I'm going to finish the class. This is the third time in my life I'm attempting to learn Spanish. I'm going all the way this time!!!!

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

I am curious, are you taking Spaniard, Spanish, or, Latin American, Spanish?

A decade or so ago, (time flys at my age) I had some tapes for learning Spanish. A plant worker of Mexican heritage listened in one day, said he could not understand Spaniard Spanish, it sounded like so much Greek to him.

[Hildy]

Latin American, Spanish.

[T. Buzzard Trueblood]

I'm from Puerto Rico and I particularly think that some Spaniards can be arrogant, racist, imperialistic...

LOL! And rather ignorant of their own nation's history of dark doings in the Americas, in my opinion.

[Choose Ye This Day]

Good. Spaniard Spanish sounds like sissy speak to the rest of the Spanish-speaking world. Too much lisping.

Good for you. Spanish is a wonderful, rich, expressive, and fun language. I enjoy the heck out of speaking it.

Take advantage of any and all opportunities to speak with a native speaker. You may stumble, babble, and feel and sound foolish, but you will learn more that way than sitting in 100 hours of classroom instruction.

[Hildy]

Thanks! I am looking forward to it. I know alot of people who speak it, and they never miss an opportunity to test my progress!!!!

[AMERIKA]

Actually, I live in Northern Virginia. I had a few ancestors among the people who claimed the place at the time the first Europeans showed up.
So, technically speaking, I am at home~!

And you?


LOL! You are funny...All I said was LONG before your European ancestors showed up here...........THE INDIANS LAID CLAIM TO THIS LAND!!!

I am sick of hearing about the Mexicans wanting their land back. If it keeps up I am going BACK to Europe!!! I felt more at home in the Czech Republic than I do in the land I grew up in.

[muawiyah]

Some of my ancestors owned Bohemia, too, before they got run off by a more primitive people. Read all about it in Caesar's Gallic Commentaries.

Stuff does happen.

[AMERIKA]

Well I am happy for you!

I am just plain white american.