In general, Spaniards speak louder than English people. Now, how do the two different cultures view this?
In England, different social classes use different tones of voice. Lower classes speak louder. Therefore, speaking in a lower tone of voice is associated with a higher status in society and vice-versa. Speaking loudly is also considered rude.
In Spain, speaking loudly is common. It is not rude, demeaning, nor embarrassing. There are no social class connotations. If anything, it can feel quite frustrating to have a conversation with someone who is not speaking loudly enough to follow what they are saying.
Perhaps English people who speak low consider that the listener should make less noise to hear what they are saying. Spanish people consider that the speaker should use a louder tone to accommodate to the circumstances.
Welcome to my blog. Here I want to discover what it is like to have two languages in everyday life. The section on inter-cultural communication derives from a challenge I had from one of my teachers at my MA to record the cultural differences I observed between England and my native Spain, and to consider the reasoning behind the different behaviours. The section on languages and emotions (teresabamforth.blogspot.com) derives from a conversation I had with my father (see the first post).
