| It's no secret that the Spanish market is booming in the | | | | someone who is a descendant of a native speaker |
| United States, particularly the Hispanic market. | | | | living abroad. |
| After several generations of people from Latin | | | | As we know and some of you may have witnessed |
| America and South America establishing roots as | | | | personally, when people move to other regions or |
| American citizens in the southern states and the west | | | | pass their mother tongue onto their children after they |
| coast of the US predominantly, the time has come for | | | | have emigrated, the purity of the dialect may not be |
| society to recognize the rich contributions, cultural and | | | | exactly the same or in tune with what is going on |
| otherwise, that our Spanish speaking brothers and | | | | where they originally came from. |
| sisters have introduced to North Americans, including | | | | In Simone's opinion, there are major differences in a |
| the beautiful Romance language of Spanish. | | | | native speakers' facility and that of someone who has |
| To give you a brief history on the two principal dialects | | | | been taught out of context or has adopted a mixed |
| of Spanish where we are concerned, the European | | | | version of English and Spanish, often referred to as |
| Spanish comes from Spain and exhibits a different | | | | Spanglish (remember that Adam Sandler / Tea Leoni |
| pronunciation altogether from the more familiar Latin | | | | movie?). |
| American Spanish of soft C's that sound like S's we | | | | Simone also insists that companies should be aware |
| have come to know through songs like Feliz Navidad | | | | that fact when they plan to work with a Spanish |
| and the like. | | | | Voice Talent. |
| The Spanish spoken here in North America is by most | | | | She can think of dozens of examples that feature |
| accounts the most universally spoken because of its | | | | several companies who trust in Spanish speaking |
| effortless glides and genteel delivery not to mention | | | | employees to translate the original script from English. It |
| the exposure it has enjoyed in the Americas. This is | | | | is perceived that having an employee with a Spanish |
| the gentle Spanish of Dora the Explorer, Sesame | | | | heritage doing the legwork of translation will save |
| Street, soap operas from Mexico, and the crooning of | | | | some money or simplify the process. What an |
| singers such as Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias, Jennifer | | | | employer doesn't realize is that by relying on a |
| Lopez and Shakira. | | | | non-native speaker to produce a respectable |
| When I asked Simone Fojgiel, a native Spanish | | | | translation into the language specified is a big mistake, |
| speaker and voice talent, about the role that Spanish | | | | one that could potentially risk their reputation as well as |
| plays on the world stage in the world of voice over, | | | | waste resources. |
| she revealed the following: | | | | "Someone who was born in the US and has parents |
| "Just consider that Spanish is spoken by almost 400 | | | | who were born in Latin America, or who came to this |
| million people natively. It is the fourth most spoken | | | | country at an early age and was born in South |
| language by total number of speakers, including native | | | | America, isn't likely to speak a 100% pure Spanish, or |
| and non-native Spanish speakers, which in total is | | | | use the right conjugation of verbs. There will be a lack |
| approximately 500 million. Considering these amazing | | | | of richness in vocabulary, too. And "Spanglish" will be |
| numbers, plus the fact that there are more Hispanics | | | | evident in the way many words (i.e. technical) will be |
| living in the US than the entire population of Canada, | | | | translated. I don't know how other talents manage |
| which is 32.5 million, brings an excellent projection to | | | | themselves when a script that's full of grammatical |
| our profession in America. In fact, I think it's an | | | | errors comes to their hands. Do they tell the company |
| outstanding, unstoppable phenomenon. | | | | what's happening? I do, and show my concern. |
| The demand for Spanish talents is increasing | | | | Companies who hire Spanish voice talents need to be |
| everyday especially in the US, but also in other | | | | very, very aware of these situations. American people |
| markets like Europe and Asia, although with other | | | | trust in others, because in this country your word |
| specifications. For instance, in Europe companies look | | | | represents your honour. But they need to know that |
| for Castilian (Castellano) accented talents, because the | | | | not everyone has the same ethics. So I suggest them |
| influence that comes from Spain is real in their market. | | | | to work with a well educated Translator and Voice |
| In America, in most of the cases, Latin American. | | | | Talent, in order to get the results they expect. No |
| Mexican or Neutral Spanish are the most requested | | | | matter the target you want to reach within the |
| accents for obvious reasons." | | | | Hispanic Community. Spanish voice talents should be |
| As Simone says, Spanish is a very complex language | | | | native, and translators too. Always." |
| to learn because of various vocabulary, grammatical, | | | | Today, ninety percent of her clientele is located in |
| syntax and semantic rules and conjugations. It has a | | | | Canada and the United States, a hefty percentage to |
| word for every feeling. | | | | say the least. Simone has found the much of her |
| From my own experience, all you need to do is watch | | | | success is related to her online marketing efforts as |
| a Spanish opera or program on television to see the | | | | opposed to more traditional methods offline. |
| practically endless flow of passion that emanates from | | | | Not just a speaker of Spanish and English, Simone is |
| each word with purpose and gusto. | | | | trilingual, adding Hebrew to the mix of languages |
| Simone also shared that although the language is | | | | offered to her clients. She recognizes her polyglot |
| beautiful and looks effortless, Spanish has a | | | | capabilities are an advantage because she was able |
| two-gender system and about fifty conjugated forms | | | | to accommodate projects with certain accents |
| per verb, revealing "I don't blame those who postpone | | | | because of her extensive training and fulfilled her |
| taking Spanish courses every year!!!" | | | | clients' expectations. |
| Another interesting fact is that although there are two | | | | According to Simone, the Spanish language is now one |
| main Spanish dialect distinctions, even Latin American | | | | of the three most sought after languages in the voice |
| Spanish has its own stream of sub-dialects. You can | | | | over marketplace, propelled in part by recent studies in |
| find obvious differences between certain accents, for | | | | the United States indicating that the number of |
| instance Cuban compared to Argentinian/Uruguayan. | | | | Spanish-dominant and bilingual Hispanics in America will |
| They both are Spanish, but the accent and even the | | | | increase by 45% over the next 20 years. |
| way verbs are conjugated is absolutely different. | | | | One of the best ways to find a native speaker of |
| Case in point is the difference between a native | | | | Spanish is to conduct a search online or post a job at |
| speaker of a Spanish dialect and the lingual abilities of | | | | a voice over marketplace. |