Perhaps it's just wishful thinking, but I wonder if it really matters that much if Spanish is not spoken perfectly. I've seen movies where a non-Hispanic is obviously speaking Spanish with a strong accent and she is getting her point across. In my dealings with Spanish speakers attempting to communicate in English, I've noticed that it is rare that I completely fail to understand what they are saying. Often they use the present tense almost exclusively and are mispronouncing many English words, but I get the gist of what they are saying. If not, I ask them to repeat or to try to phrase it another way. Sometimes, I play detective and ask them if they mean this or that. Yes, I think that being unable to pronounce the Castillian c or d exactly right should not deter anyone from speaking Spanish. I mean, really, we're all familiar with the French's difficulty with the th sound, but very few of us would be perplexed by hearing 'the' pronounced 'zee,' as in 'show me zee money.' Zee is close enough.
Of course it would matter a great deal to someone who is on a diplomatic mission to Latin America or is for whatever reason trying to avoid being perceived as a foreigner. But that's not the case for the vast majority of us. Indeed, I've heard that embarrassment and self-consciousness is the primary reason why language learners often fail to become fluent. We are determined not to utter a word in public until what comes out of our mouths is perfect Spanish and our conversation partner is smiling and marveling at our linguistic talents. Well, it ain't gonna happen--at least not for years. I'm one to talk, though--I shudder in horror at the thought of having to speak to anyone in Spanish, whether they be gringos or native madrileños. I'm hoping that fear will subside.
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