| Oct 28, 2005 - Mi español
| Well, today my Spanish lessons have officially ended, and since all formal classroom education in the dominant language of this continent has come to a close, I figured it was time for an update.
Back in March/April I took a group adult Spanish course in Manhattan for 4 weeks. It met twice a week for 2 hours each, so it amounted to 16hours total. I actually got some of the basics down in that time, the simplest past present and future tenses, so that I was able to comunicate with and understand people when I first got to Quito. It also helped so that my classes here did not have to start completely from square 1. Then, in these 3 weeks of 4 hours a day, we raced through the grammar in an attempt to cover everything, and I soaked it all up pretty eagerly. My teachers expressed shock in how much we were able to get through, saying they had no plans of teaching all of this and usually never do that much in only 3 weeks, and that I must have a natural ability with language. I'm lucky I guess, because I still feel inadequate at times and get frustrated at not being able to comounicate with total ease like I would want to. Imagine, as much as I talk, to not be able to say exactly what I want, when I want, at the speed I want. I think this "ability" is really my mind just making up for the fact that I am a total blabbermouth and won't shut up no matter what language I'm speaking.
So, I now know almost every mode or tense there is in the Spanish language, and the conjugations that go with it, except for some of the "Subjunctive/Conditional" clauses. For example, "if it would have been raining, I would have stayed indoors (past conditional", or "Were I to travel to Africa, I would want to learn the language there as well (future conditional)." I have a vague idea about it, having heard it at times, and learned some in class, but we did not officially cover all the different forms, which apparently there are quite a few of. Otherwise, I should technically be able to say and understand anything I want at this point. Now it is just a matter of increasing my vocabulary, and the speed with which I can talk and listen, which should all come with more time and exposure here, and the constant help of my best friend and best teacher on this trip, my Spanish/English pocket dictionary.
I still am nowhere near the fluency I had with Nepali at the end of my 6 months there, and I am curious to see when, if ever, I will feel as comfortable with my Spanish. However, at least I am no longer accidentally saying words in Nepali when I don't know their Spanish equivalent, and in fact, my Nepali ability is leaving my head fast, and at this point I may know even less Nepali than Spanish. As for Spanish, as of now I understand more than I can speak, only because I am unusre of how to say certain things, but if someone says it correctly to me I will understand. The hardest parts? For me, they are the parts that are most different than the direct translation in English. All the little things, like articles which are required before almost every noun, and the many ways there are to say the same thing such as "for" "a" "the" and "to be", depending on the context and the masuline/feminine quality of the word. Also the tons of refelxive verbs, which require a "to me" or "to you" type pronoun with it, the absence of which can totally change the meaning of the verb. Of course, the accent is still a challenge too, as well as matching the conjugation of a verb with the tense and pronoun of what I am saying at the pace of which I am saying it.
However, all this should be improved with just more practice talking, and that is one thing I am not worried about having on this trip. If you know the language, feel free to drop me a note in Spanish, sticking to the easier things for now (think elementary school), and I will try to respond in kind. |
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