Learning the Language 239other hand, your ability to communicate in ‘bad’ Spanish is
greatly appreciated. The English language is not considered
a necessity as it would be in Mexico, for example. Many well
educated Bolivians do not speak English.
Slips of the Tongue
Spanish is not without important subtleties, and if you are
preparing a product or advertising campaign, it is best to seek
consultation, in order to make sure that you are not stumbling upon a
double meaning.
The most famous error of this type concerns General Motors’
attempt to market its popular Nova automobile in Mexico. The
disastrous coincidence was that no va in Spanish means ‘It
doesn’t go.’
A beer company once translated its advertising slogan
‘Turn it loose,’ in a way which, in Spanish, sounded like a
powerful laxative.