I speak Spanish fluently because my Advanced Spanish prof in college was from Spain. On the first day of class, he told us two things would be necessary to pass his class.
“You think you know Spanish because you’ve had a lot to get to this class. But you don’t know a language unless you think in the language, and dream in it. You won’t pass this class at the end unless you are thinking in Spanish - and you can’t fool me. I can tell if you are thinking in Spanish or translating....”
“Number two: my language is a beautiful language - and I cannot stand to hear it spoken with a gringo accent. If you speak with an American/gringo accent you will not pass this class. I will teach you two accents - Castillian and Mexican, and you must be good at both to pass this class.”
Because I am also fluent - and more at home - in Brazillian Portuguese, many Latino’s think I am Brasillian.....
As I’ve yet to live in a Spanish-speaking country, my vocabulary is limited, and I still have trouble understanding them when they are in native 100mph mode. Colombian, Ecuadorian, Peruvian, Chilean and Argentinian Spanish are easier for me to understand. Mas puro.
My son lives in Nicaragua (Nica wife) and speaks Spanish far better than I, but for a couple years had a horrible gringo accent - I was always on his case about his horrible accent - but now he is much better and his gringo accent is fading.....
I believe if you are going to learn another language, you must learn to speak it as the natives do.
When I’m in Brasil, they ask me, “Where are you from? I know you are Brasileiro, but where are you from?” because I learned my Portuguese all over the country and do not have a regional accent - theirs are very distinct - Paulista, Carioca, do Sul (south), etc.
Nicest compliment I’ve ever gotten (and I’ve gotten it a number of times) is “Hablas sin acento”. Learned in Venezuela starting at 14. Kinda fun, actually, since I’m a blue-eyed gringo. Holding my tongue comes in handy here in San Antonio as well!
Español es una lengua muy bella. Me gusta arrollar mis rr’s.
But English is more functional.