Someone is speaking too fast and you can't understand
How do you feel when you are trying to practice a second language and the other person is speaking too fast that you just can't understand anything?
13 Answers
I feel too embarrassed to tell them to slow down fearing it may hurt their feelings so I usually nod my head say si si , and hope I have not agreed to marry someones abuela. Although come to think of it , may not be such a bad idea at least I would get free Spanish lessons. But I do have trouble with the speed of hablando en española, it sounds like one long word .In movies I find Mexican speech a little easier ,do they speak more slowly I wonder. 
When someone speaks too fast I feel overwhelmed and lost in the conversation. I usually say "Por favor, un poco más despacio."
When it's just a word I missed I'll say "Qué quiere decir......"
I feel bad, very bad.
Me siento mal,y pienso que no lo entenderé jamás.
On the other hand when someone else who speaks English or French try to practice Spanish with me I make a big effort to speak as standard as possible.
I've only talked to American people, mostly by phone... at first I remark them I'm not able to understand if they start speaking fast... after 1 minute they just flow naturally and troubles begin for me and I'm shy of remind them "don't speak fast, please".
I agree with Marianne. I usually just say "más despacio por favor".
I'm curious though Morbo, do you find that English speaking people speak too fast at times? Is there a difference in your understanding depending on where the person is from?
Por ejemplo: U.S. north vs. south, British, Australian?
I would love to hear your thoughts. Most of my Spanish speaking friends say that it is nearly impossible to understand someone from the southeastern part of the U.S.
This is very interesting to read and it reminded me of a friend who got a summer job as a busboy in a fancy restaurant in Toronto. He only spoke Spanish and a bit of French, his English was almost nil. I asked him how he was making out and he said he just stood there and if anyone asked him a direct question he would point in the direction of the toilets. If they looked confused he would point (the other way) towards the cashier. He had a great time and actually learned a few good phrases.
Usually there are a number of problems involved (the least of which is simple speed of utterance). One can, of course say "Please speak more slowly!" In my experience, this produces a very short-time effect. Languages and speakers have their natural rhythms and although, with conscious effort, some speakers can "slow down", after a few minutes, they usually revert to their normal rhythms.
Far more problematical is the use of slang/regionalisms (which may be hard to understand at any speed). Most people are unaware of their own use of non-standard phrases/vocabulary (unless they have had considerable exposure the "standard" forms of [even more rarely] foreign students of their language). Perhaps, they will try to speak to you as they would to a child (but it will be a child from their own region, probably full of expressions peculiar to that region).
I just say "Sí" when I think they ask a question. I mean seriously, its too confusing!
Me siento incluso apenada porque llevo mucho aprendiendo el español. Se supone que, tras tres años de estudio, se podría por lo menos entender lo que dice la gente.
Entonces respiro profundamente y trato de no pensar demasiado en lo que la persona está diciéndome.
I sincerely believe that almost anyone who wants to be understood is willing to slow down for an audience that is trying to learn. And, in my experience, my comprehension seems to increase, even when they start speeding up again. Maybe something about being in the present rather than trying to figure out what has already been said.
I think it is a little easier for someone trying to listen to English as a second language because of the automatic break after so many of the words. So many words end in consonents: d, t, k, g, n with a hard stop, even though we sure can run them together.
While so many Spanish words end in a vowel and promote a glide into the next word.
But I think I'll get the hang of it. I just need more oportunities with someone that wants to be understood, while I'm only at this level.
Hola, Morbo. I feel frustrated, but at the same time challenged. There was a time when I didn't want anyone to know that I couldn't understand, so I did nothing. Now I have no qualms at all about asking the speaker to repeat what was said slowly or questioning individual words that were used. 
English is my second language. When I was still learning it and encountered people who spoke really fast for me, I usually found myself trying to pick one word or two and trying to understand everything else from context. Every once in a while I would ask follow up questions immediately after. But for the most part, I would try to assimilate everything I didn't understand at first later on, or ask a native speaker friend a few more details after the fact. I felt that if I told them to slow down, they would subconsciously slow down thereafter and I would never speak the language as natives do. It was really frustrating the first couple of months, but I feel it was worth it.
