Re: CHAT: I need help with the concept "New World Spanish"

    I've been to Spain, I'm Mexican, and I have friends from Guatemala and El
Salvador.  I'd say there's enough of a difference to label the two (NWS vs.
Spain Spanish), even though there are differences between the respective
groups.  It's kind of like having American English vs. British English, even
though there are tons of British dialects, and distinct American dialects.
If you're writing something for Americans, you don't call an "elevator" a
"lift".  Generally, I'd say, Americans know that a lift is an elevator in
Britain, but it's just silly to think that "lift" is perfectly acceptable in
America, because it isn't.  I think what the idea behind NWS is is just like
"standard" English, which, I've heard, is basically New England English.
It's what Tom Brokaw and all those news anchors speak.  Even when speaking
formally, I don't speak this way (I mean, [njuw] as opposed to [nuw]?!  Who
are these people?), but I have no trouble identifying this as English, nor
with understanding it, nor with it being taught as the "standard", in formal
situations.  Could that be the point of the NWS group?
    But anyway, since most of what's been said has been correct, I'd say, on
both sides, let me ask: What exactly are you trying to do?  If you've got two
different groups, one says their Spanish is okay for the Americas (but not
necessarily Spain), and the other group says their language is not acceptable
for Spain, what's the problem?  Sounds like you're set: One group for the
Americas; one for Spain.  Is it that they want to have only one version that
will pass for both?  If that's the case, I wish you the best of luck.  :)

-David

"fawiT, Gug&g, tSagZil-a-Gariz, wAj min DidZejsat wazid..."
"Soft, driven, slow and mad, like some new language..."
                    -Jim Morrison

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