Hi everyone. This is my first post here. Anyway I just want to add my two cents about why the accents are different in the americas. This is because when Spain was in its colonial period, the vast majority of people that travelled to the new world were Extremeños and Andalucians. This in turn is because of economic and political reasons. These areas are historically the most economically depressed and politically oppressed areas of spain and this was especially true then. The people in the areas of Old Castile (the political center of Spain), Catalonia (the economic center) and the north and northeast (where the peasants were relatively well-off) didnt have as much reason to leave Spain as did those in the south. Also, most of the conquistadors were petty nobility from Extremadura and Andalucia and enrolled crews and passengers from these areas. The castillian nobility didnt move in force to these regions until the 18th and 19th centuries. As to why these areas have a different accent from Castile, and the north, I am not sure. If I had to guess, I would say it was due to the fact that these areas had different influences, esp. the much heavier Moorish influence on the south.

Thanks Antonio,
I've always taught my students that the B and V sound is the same as the English B but without pressing the lips together and thus making the "plosive" B of, for example "baby" - where there's a tiny puff of air blown out. What WAS the difference in sound, when there was one?

I'm not 100% sure but I think it was the same (or similar) to the difference between the pronunciation of b and v in English.

The b/v distinction in English causes native Spanish speakers some problems. When my (Andalucian)wife first visited the UK she apologised so someone who had misunderstood her English by explaining that she had "problems with her bowels" ! :o

:o Hahahaha!! You just gave me my first chuckle of the day, El Boqueron. Thanks! I enjoyed it so much I had to read it to my coworker and she too laughed out loud (at your wife's expense, I'm sorry to say). Oh well. It's an innocent mistake and made often, I'm sure.

This isn't only a problem for native speakers! Spanish teachers who spend at least 9 months of the year speaking Spanish all day,often have the same problem as Boqueron's wife. My grown children still tease me about it. ("That's berry berry nice") It's a difficult sound to get rid of when you're switching between the 2 languages!

Glad y'all liked the story! We have a running joke - when speaking English you must "open your bowels and not roll your arse"!
(last bit may not work in US English).