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Tuesday 24 September 2013

English as an international language



Wach this video. Notwithstanding her drammatical competence ;-), what do you think about her pronunciation? Does she manage to make herself understood? Does  she manage to put her arguments forward? This is, does she really COMMUNICATE? Post your comments.

19 comments:

Unknown said...

Ana, you´re the best! Next time you must speak in Spanish, please. A question: who is your english teacher?

Unknown said...

I´ve heard that the team who were preparing Madrid´s candidacy spent a big amount of money in a foreign expert who prepared the speeches. Personally speaking, I consider that there are high qualificated people who could do this task with less money. Apart from that, the evidence suggests that she was learning some phrases but she didn´t know the real meaning because she did stops and made emphasis in places where sounded terrible. And on top of that is unbelievably disappointing the fact that nowadays a high level in English is recquired in all jobs but politicians.

Unknown said...

I thing is like the worst play that I have ever seen. How many times has she spent front the mirror? She hasn´t people near who advices her? And my last question, there isn´t anybody in this country who can speak English properly? I agree whit Raul about for working today in Spain, all people need a high level in English less politicians.

Ana Peñas said...

The written before it´s mine Anapeñas, isn´t unknown

Unknown said...

In spite of the fact that the pronunciation is the worst I've heard in my whole life, she manages to make her understood. The matter is what she really communicates!

I suppose she learnt by heart what the scriptwriter had given to her. It was, in my view, a four-year-old vocabulary speech, probably written in spanglish for her to be able to read it again and again.

She describes Madrid, its relaxing cups of café con leche and its possible romantic dinners much better than four-year-olds,
but I believe that the mayoress of the capital of Spain is supposed to be able to put real arguments forward in such an important event (or her advisers at least).

In conclusion, she wouldn't have made a fool of herself if she had spoken in Spanish (or just shut up).



Ana Valladares said...

It's a shame to hear our politicians speak English, since Ana Botella to each of them. It is clear that English is a pending subject.
His problem, apart from the pronunciation, has been that she had tried to vocalize too much.
She didn´t know what she was saying, I think they just learned how to speech.
To sum up, I think if she really wanted to give a speech, should have done in her mother language (the Spanish).

María Balbás said...

This is the example of Spanish politician. I am embarrasment for her.
Where did she learn English? Did she learn English in a public school or in a private school?
I don't know... certantly in private school.

Rocío M. Gómez said...

In my view Ana Botella is overacting and gesticulating too much while giving this speech. At times she seems to be speaking to an audience of children. Her pronunciation is not very good but I think that she manages to make herself understood. I mean that she conveys what she is trying to say.

Sara Carrero said...

In my opinion (and in the majority’s opinion), her pronunciation is awful. She doesn’t manage a fluent speech and it sounds unnatural and forced. However, I think she manages to make herself understood and she manages to communicate with the people are listening her. Despite her pronunciation, her message is clear and it can be understood for all native and non-native English speakers.

MChary said...

She is very expressive; she gesticulates and grimaces a lot. Why does she do that? Well her English speak is very bad. Despite of that she can communicate with everybody.
In my view, that is an important positive point. At least she tries to communicate with native speakers and non-native one and she makes herself understood, at the end.
When we see this kind of show, we notice our lack and in the end we criticize them however, we go with our gut feeling, instead of change our narrow mind respects to foreign language due to our stupid shyness and embarrassing.

Mª Teresa said...

The Ana Botella's speech was really interesting. I really feel that when you speak a language you not only need to use words, you need to know the rhythm, the music that this language has. Of course you have to improve your level speaking all that you can, but in my opinion, you have to select the places in order not to make a fool of yourself. I hope Spanish politicians realize before long that English need to be learnt in another way. In my opinion, English movies should be not translated but subtitled. Children, teenagers, people in general who spend a lot of time watching TV would learn not only English pronunciation, expressions and vocabulary, nor Spanish reading, orthography, grammar and vocabulary too ( nowadays a real necessity for people in general). They would improve both English and Spanish.

Mª Teresa said...


The Ana Botella's speech was really interesting.
I really feel that when you speak a language you not only need to use words, you need to know the rhythm, the music that this language has.
Of course you have to improve your level speaking all that you can, but in my opinion, you have to select the places in order not to make a fool of yourself.
I hope Spanish politicians realize before long that English need to be learnt in another way.
In my opinion, English movies should be not translated but subtitled. Children, teenagers, people in general who spend a lot of time watching TV would learn not only English pronunciation, expressions and vocabulary, nor Spanish reading, orthography, grammar and vocabulary too ( nowadays a real necessity for people in general).
They would improve both English and Spanish.

Eugenio said...

Absolutely awful. I really got shame on it when I saw it for the first time.
Ana continues being a pathetic politician woman, with retrograde approaches.
Whenever she opens the mouth in a speech it is in order to say stupid things and tell lies.
If we focus the attention in her English speaking matters, I think she could have spoken in Spanish better...
Once she says good-bye to politics affairs, she could introduce herself to the circus or theatre world.

Anonymous said...

Personally, I think that Ana Botella manages to make herself understood although her pronuntiation isn´t very good. In my opinion, the worst thing is that she grimaces and gesticulates a lot and she is overacting too much.
I think she should have spoken in Spanish!

Elisabet González

Unknown said...

Here you are a particular present:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsjYVtRLuPI

Inés Ávila said...


In my opinion, her pronunciation isn’t good at all but she can manage and extend her message. On this way, I think she really communicates what she has to. Spanish people who speak English will have less problems than others because she talks English in a “Spanish way”. I agree with the grammar she uses but in my view she should have received more oral lessons.

Erasmo Navarrete said...

Thank you very much for your comments. I can see you can express yourselves quite fluently in English!
Thanks Laura Gómez for your video!
The general opinion is that her "performance" was quite shameful, but she managed to put her message through.

Unknown said...

well, i think that she made an effort to speak in English, although it was a disaster!In my opinion if she would habe spoken more fast, the speech would habe sound better for the meeting assistant, especially the non-native speaker,because the have more trouble to understand "variants" of English. You can see your faces in the video, all of them surprised with our political woman Ana Botella.
Finally, i´d say that the speech was written accurately, but not spoken!!

Unknown said...

well, i think that she made an effort to speak in English, although it was a disaster!In my opinion if she would habe spoken more fast, the speech would habe sound better for the meeting assistant, especially the non-native speaker,because the have more trouble to understand "variants" of English. You can see your faces in the video, all of them surprised with our political woman Ana Botella.
Finally, i´d say that the speech was written accurately, but not spoken!!