This post is dedicated to you guiris, gringos/as, and others attempting to master the Spanish language:

Recently my (Spanish) friend César tagged all of his guiri friends, yours truly included, in a Facebook post with a link to the following Youtube video: "Qué difícil es hablar el español (Spanish is so difficult)."

Seeing that there are more than 1.3 million hits, maybe I'm little late in learning about this video.  But I thought it was worth sharing, all 8:47 minutes of it (and I usually don't have patience for long YouTube videos).

These two native Spanish speakers' perform a tribute to learners, especially form North American learners, of Spanish.  Sympathizing with us guiris, they go through a wide range of vocabulary differences among Spanish-speaking countries and demonstrate how difficult it can be to learn one language with so many variations.  If you learn Spanish, they advise, "no te muevas de la región."  

Having learned "textbook" Spanish in the States, I could really identify with this clip.  Before coming to Spain, I had learn the language from profesores who were from Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, Chile and Argentina.  Not to mention the numerous gringas mixed in there.  As a result I had to adapt my own hybrid accent and decipher what vocabulary was appropriate in what class.  And I thought that was difficult...when I moved to Spain I had to get used to a whooole new way of speaking.

I had to learn how to say my c's and z's with the theta sound without spitting everywhere.  I had to forget formal ustedes learn the ever-confusing vosotros form.  I had to learn to say zumo not jugo, ordenador instead of computadora, and that I was a guiri not a gringa.  And I really had to get used to using the word coger without feeling like I was offending anyone.

So if you have ever walked in similar shoes, I would recommend watching this video.

My advice to a guiri: If you ever get frustrated with your Spanish, stop and consider this video.  Even the Spanish-speakers admit it's difícil.

Tackling Spanish one día at a time

Before ever visiting a foreign country, I had always heard the infamous phrase, "If you just live in   fill-in-the-blank country  for a few months you'll pick up the  fill-in-the-blank language  like that *insert snap of the finger.*"

So in the summer of 2008 I headed off to the Càdiz (Spain) with five courses of college Spanish under my belt.  I was going to live with a Spanish family and take Spanish classes at the university.  Knowing I'd be "immersed in the culture," I went to Cádiz assuming that by the end of my five weeks there I'd be spitting out Spanish as fluently as Ricky Ricardo in one of his tirades. I just imagined my brain like a monolingual sponge tossed into a sea of ñ's and trilled r's, soaking up Spanish with little conscious effort.

But within a week of my stay, instead of soaking in this Spanish sea, I found myself sinking.

I realized that learning language involves more than just diving into a new culture.  It requires constant listening, deciphering, practice, and trial and error.  Living in a foreign country certainly does speed up the process. But it acts more as a catalyst--not a shortcut.

Even after living here in Murcia for a year and pico, I still learn a new word, phrase, or grammar rule every day. Granted, the recent additions to my vocabulary and grammar are getting more complex.   But the point is, I'm still consciously pausing my brain to learn something new.  Recently, the inherent educator within me started to reflect on my progress in Spanish and how I would learn it a day at a time.


At first I started out with a journal, writing down all the new words and phrases I learned...

Then later in the year, my former British roommate Ellie moved in and we started a list of words we had heard or looked up each day...

After she moved out, without the accountability I let my version of Palabra del Día slide...

But in the fall I enrolled in a university Spanish course which really forced me to learn...

And now I keep a daily calendar on my desk of the famous Argentine comic cartoon character in the Spanish world, Mafalda. As I read each day's comic, any phrases or words that I don't know or understand go straight into www.wordreference.com and back into the calendar with my handwritten explanation...

Over the years and months I've found ways for my brain to soak and swim at the same time. 




My advice to a guiri: Find a routine that keeps you motivated to learn a little Spanish every day. Poco a poco goes a long way. 

Backyard Barbacoas

Every Tuesday evening I participate in a conversation "class" with people from all over Europe--Spain, England, Norway, Italy, and France.  During these two hours we do an intercambio ("exchange of language") to learn more Spanish and English.  We meet at a tavern, order a few beers and bocadillos, and alternate between speaking in English and Spanish--well, a little English and a lot of Spanish.

Last week one of the Spanish girls from the class invited us to her finca (country house) right outside of the city for a barbacoa (barbecue).  So this past Sunday all of us guiris piled into our Spanish friends' cars and rode to la huerta.  We spent the fall afternoon eating grilled pork and sausages, tortilla, and other tapas.  (When I heard we were having a barbecue, I immediately thought of baked beans.  So with our grilled meat we had classic American baked beans, which I have introduced to my European friends.  My dish became known as alubias americanas, American beans.)

After picaring and eating for three hours (yes, three hours), we played a few games involving taping paper to our foreheads and charades.  It was a perfect way to spend a domingo afternoon.

Spanish tortilla

American beans

 

"Cinderella"

Mr. Bean

My advice to a guiri:  Many people in Spain have ganas to learn English; so if you have the opportunity, get involved in some sort of Spanish-English conversation class.  It's a good way to meet people and to improve your Spanish.  

Also, if you're ever at a party or with a large group of people, try to get some kind of game going.  At first playing games in another language can be intimidating.  But even when I clumsily spit out "The dinosaur eats people in Japan," and a group of people immediately and anxiously respond with, "Godzilla!," my confidence always gets a bit of a boost.

The answer...to dry skin

In my previous blog post, I included the following photographs and asked my readers to respond to the question: Judging by the container and label of the following product, what do you think this is?

a. Shampoo
b. Conditioner
c. Shower Gel
d. Lotion

 

Eight (which seems like a low number, but it's the most commenters I've had for one post) of you were brave enough to post your answers.  And I thank those readers.  But before I reveal that answer, I feel I should add to the meager suspense of my trivial question and explain the story behind it...

After my first month in Murcia I started to run out of body lotion.  I decided to buy more so that I would have a bottle on-hand for when I ran out.  I went to the supermarket and choose a brand that I had tried and trusted in the past.  And, of course, the natural selection for an American in my case would be Johnson & Johnson.  (But make no mistake, this came after several minutes of sincere contemplation and consideration in the hygiene isle.)  I finally selected the bottle above and thoughtfully stored it in my bathroom cabinet when I got home.

A few weeks later I finished the last bit of my original bottle of lotion and decided to open the new bottle of Johnson's Body Care.  Immediately I thought it was strange that the lotion was very liquidy and difficult to rub into my skin.  Instead of double checking the front label, I checked the back label to see where the product was manufactured.  Madrid.  Sometimes American products are different when they're produced in another country.

"These Spanish have weird lotion," I thought...then continued using the lotion.

The next day, I did the same, but I started to think that 4+ minutes was a ridiculous amount of time to be standing in the bathroom, waiting for the lotion to absorb in my skin.  Later that evening I started asking some of my female Spanish friends what brand of lotion they use.  None of them responded with "Johnson's," so I started doubting the brand.  Maybe I should find a new one, I thought.

Still I was determined to get my 4€'s worth.

After a few days of obstinacy, I finally admitted that I needed a new kind of lotion.  I was talking to Craig at lunch, showing him the dry skin all over my face and lamenting about my newfound distrust in Johnson & Johnson.  So after work he offered me a ride to the supermarket so I could pick out a new type of lotion.

That evening while we were scanning the aisles of Carrefour, the local supermarket, I located the detested Johnson's body lotion.

"Look, Craig!  This is the crappy stuff I bought earlier!"

We both stood there staring at the label, and something told me look up and check the name of the aisle in which we were standing.

Geles de Ducha.  (Shower Gels.)

At about the same time I realized my mistake, Craig started, "Um...Ashley?"

Humiliated, I threw the bottle back on the shelf and said, "I know, I know.  Don't say anything,"and dashed out of the section.

But of course a moment of stupidity like that couldn't go unmentioned, so I turned around and we had a good laugh about it.  Then I found proper loción.

So for those of you who responded "d. Lotion," I'm glad I'm not the only one who missed the fine print under "Naturally Soft."  To be fair, "Gel de Ducha" is difficult to spot.  And hidratante, which is more visible than the word gel, means "moisturizing."  So thank you for making me feel like I'm not the only one who was mislead by poor marketing design. 

And for those of you who replied with "c. Shower Gel."  Good for you.  I'm glad you can show up my Spanish skills, which I have been developing for nine years, in two minutes.  Thank you.  As a disclaimer, I do have to say that this took place almost two months ago.  I'd like to think that my speaking (and reading) abilities have advanced since then.

But in all seriousness, the "moral of the story" here is humility.  When learning any new language, there are going to be moments of misconception and embarrassment.  There will be days when a cashier will ask me for my special shopper's card and I respond by telling her my zip code.  There will be days when people will tell me to jump in front of them in line and I simply stand and smile.  There will be days that sales representatives will wince as in they're in pain as they try to make sense of my accent.  But that's all part of learning, practicing, and improving.  

Though it hasn't been easy, I've learned to accept that I'm going to make mistakes.  And although not everyone may not see it, it's only important that I know that the way I speak is not directly correlated with my intelligence and/or competence.  I may appear "less intelligent" or childlike to others, but I know that mental effort that I'm making within.  The best thing to do is just laugh, marked it as a lesson learned, and keep speaking.  And even if it entails rubbing soap all over my body and not rinsing it off for 24-hours, acquiring Spanish is a process well-worth fleeting moments of embarrassment.  

And it makes for good stories.

I want my readers to join me in a little game...

Let's play a little game.  (No Spanish language skills required)

Judging by the container and label of the following product, what do you think this is?:

a. Shampoo
b. Conditioner
c. Shower Gel
d. Lotion


Please leave your answer in the comment box below.

(Story soon to follow...)