Guestblog: How I learned to speak Spanish….
….. By Amanda Hamilton, owner of Andalucia’s most luxurious guest house
I was 40 when I got the final permissions necessary to move to Spain with my then 6 year old son in our 13 year old motorhome. Not just 40, but 40 and “useless at languages”. I’d decided that when French arrived in my world – it thrilled me as much as a diagnosis of rabies.
It’s a funny thing though. When you really want something, more than you can begin to express, as I wanted to move to Spain, it’s amazing how even your own internal saboteurs can be talked into collaborating.
I went to the local library and looked online at the work of the now late Michel Thomas and oh joy, the normal over a hundred pounds set of 8 CDs was reduced to sixty, so I bought them.
Those first two CDs were my living reality for an intense six weeks prior to leaving. In the car, while hoovering (not easy), while cooking, while sleeping. I lived, breathed and spoke Michel Thomas’ language course 24/7.
Then we set off, armed with CDs and a motorhome packed to the gunnels, feeling frankly pretty cocky about it all. Big mistake …!
- Image by publikaccion.es via Flickr
The first Spanish person who spoke to me was unintelligible … as was the next, and the next! Swallowing a feeling of rising nausea, I realised that while I could falteringly put a sentence together, what I absolutely hadn’t counted on was people wanting to engage me in conversation, nor that it would be in a local, incomprehensible dialect at shotgun speed. I was floored.
I couldn’t understand a single word.
From that gut churning moment, I realised I had a job to do. Every day, I would jot down the words I heard most, and I would look them up in my dictionary that night, making up sentences that included them. The next day, I would do everything in my power to find an opportunity to use the new word. I can’t tell you how many horrifically embarrassing moments that caused including my regaling a dinner party on how I used cherries to make condoms, or telling an unsuspecting friend that I was sexually aroused over moving to Andalucia.
But I never allowed my own embarrassment to stop me making a fabulous pig’s ear because embarrassing though it was, it was the best way to learn. I went to the bar after school drop-off and sat “chatting” with the other mums. Actually I said nothing, just tried to follow the conversation. It was a nightmare – they all talked at the same time, finishing each other’s sentences for them, snapping from one subject I didn’t understand to another. I felt like a moron that had indeed caught rabies. When I did feel brave enough to contribute, I would often get totally blank “what is this woman talking about?” sort of looks, but I soldiered on. It was the steepest learning curve, and at times really emotional, but I didn’t give up.
By the time I left the north and moved to Andalucia (not sexually aroused, but “excited” if the truth be known – and by the way jam is not a “preservativo” in Spanish, it’s a “conserva” or “mermelada” just so you know), my Spanish had become good at a conversational level. I felt confident to be able to explain myself pretty clearly in 90% of life’s situations.
Mistake No.2 … !
Try and deal with Bureaucracy – and they really don’t care about your language limitations! I must have asked “could you speak more slowly” over 10,000 times, but they pay zero attention, sigh, even roll their eyes when I ask for the 10th time if they could repeat that please. At times it was thoroughly demoralising, but I kept on with the attitude of “it can only get better if you keep on keeping on”.
Nowadays, some 3+ years’ later, I do practice my Spanish on a pretty regular basis through interchanges – 45 minutes in English and 45 minutes in Spanish with a similarly capable friend. It’s a great way of getting to know other people and a great way of mastering conversation. It doesn’t necessarily help with getting the inner tube on a bike tyre fixed but that’s why sign language was invented!
The biggest problem I have now with speaking “enough to get by” is that I have got lazy and use the same limited vocabulary for everything. I’d dearly love to shift to the next level so am starting to have a look at online study courses. I’ve given myself, possibly madly, the goal of achieving a Spanish O Level and maybe even A Level to help me continue to improve. It no longer feels like a dose of rabies … instead it feels like the greatest gift I could have ever given myself. I absolutely adore being able to communicate well in a completely different language with a huge percentage of the world – with the added bonus that now French, Portugese and Italian are no longer impossible to understand either.
So, if you’re thinking of learning another language, my best advice is be aware that you will say shamefully embarrassing things, and know that your friends will never EVER let you forget them!
”Please could I have a chest of drawers with 4 testicles?” being one of my group of friends’ favourites …
Amanda
Amanda Hamilton can be found on Twitter aka @dreamingspain and living her dream in Andalucia, Spain
About Sarah ArrowSarah Arrow is the managing editor of Birds on the Blog, in real life she is the communications director of a same day courier service. She is an enthusiastic UK based pro-blogger and co- author of the soon to be published Zero to Blogger
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16 Responses to Guestblog: How I learned to speak Spanish….
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Wonderful post Amanda!
I know the feeling of spouting then not understanding the reply…I’ve always been like a parrot and can copy sounds quite effectively. The first time I went to Greece I found myself near Pyraeus in a rental car, due to meet the rest of the (film) unit in central Athens within the hour, and not knowing how the hell to get there.
Being a former Girl Guide I prepared a short speech and found a policeman. Hopping out of the car I smiled at him and said (phonetic representation only here of “where is the Acropolis please”) “POO INEH TO AKROPOLIS, SEH PARAKALO?”
I must have pronounced it very well, because he then told me. At length. And of course I didn’t understand a word.
Too ashamed to admit it and ask for a repeat – and anyway I couldn’t, because I didn’t know any more Greek – I set off and eventually found the damned Acropolis, thanking my lucky stars that it sits on top of a hill so I could keep it in view and just drive towards it.
Happy days…
PS … I speak some Italian which I find quite useful when I’m in Spain as sometimes it can help get me understood. Someone once warned me, though, never to ask for “burro” to go with my bread roll in a restaurant as I would be presented with a donkey. Just thought I’d pass that on…
Twitter: SuzeStMWrites
LOL That’s true! Aceite (oil) or mantequilla if you’re in a more cosmopolitan area!
What a great story
Twitter: dreamingspain
Wonderful post Amanda!
I know the feeling of spouting then not understanding the reply…I’ve always been like a parrot and can copy sounds quite effectively. The first time I went to Greece I found myself near Pyraeus in a rental car, due to meet the rest of the (film) unit in central Athens within the hour, and not knowing how the hell to get there.
Being a former Girl Guide I prepared a short speech and found a policeman. Hopping out of the car I smiled at him and said (phonetic representation only here of “where is the Acropolis please”) “POO INEH TO AKROPOLIS, SEH PARAKALO?”
I must have pronounced it very well, because he then told me. At length. And of course I didn’t understand a word.
Too ashamed to admit it and ask for a repeat – and anyway I couldn’t, because I didn’t know any more Greek – I set off and eventually found the damned Acropolis, thanking my lucky stars that it sits on top of a hill so I could keep it in view and just drive towards it.
Happy days…
PS … I speak some Italian which I find quite useful when I’m in Spain as sometimes it can help get me understood. Someone once warned me, though, never to ask for “burro” to go with my bread roll in a restaurant as I would be presented with a donkey. Just thought I’d pass that on…
Twitter: SuzeStMWrites
LOL That’s true! Aceite (oil) or mantequilla if you’re in a more cosmopolitan area!
What a great story
Twitter: dreamingspain
Yes that must have been some challenge Amanda. I love the goals you have set yourself and you just never know what opportunities that might present.
The last time I tried to learn a language was years ago as a student at a tourism college in Salzburg. The classification of the diploma I would end up depended on how good my German was. I had to lock myself away for days but finally got there. I moved to England right after my exams and never opened another German book! Lost opportunity I thought
Twitter: ethnicsupplies
What’s funny Ida is that yesterday, Zack asked me to help with his Spanish homework, and I was flummoxed .. so I’ve decided to make a start towards my degree in Spanish with primary level first !!
Twitter: dreamingspain
Yes that must have been some challenge Amanda. I love the goals you have set yourself and you just never know what opportunities that might present.
The last time I tried to learn a language was years ago as a student at a tourism college in Salzburg. The classification of the diploma I would end up depended on how good my German was. I had to lock myself away for days but finally got there. I moved to England right after my exams and never opened another German book! Lost opportunity I thought
Twitter: ethnicsupplies
What’s funny Ida is that yesterday, Zack asked me to help with his Spanish homework, and I was flummoxed .. so I’ve decided to make a start towards my degree in Spanish with primary level first !!
Twitter: dreamingspain
That is so impressive, Amnanda, I am terrified of languages, and really hated French back at school
I am still laughing at the image of a chest of drawers with four testicles – that is one gender confused item of furniture!
LOL I know – it’s because drawers are cAjones, but testicles are cOjones (CA-honess or CO-honess) – so it’s an easy mistake to make … a bit like bigger, beggar, bugg .. you get the idea – easy mistakes to make!
Twitter: dreamingspain
That is so impressive, Amnanda, I am terrified of languages, and really hated French back at school
I am still laughing at the image of a chest of drawers with four testicles – that is one gender confused item of furniture!
LOL I know – it’s because drawers are cAjones, but testicles are cOjones (CA-honess or CO-honess) – so it’s an easy mistake to make … a bit like bigger, beggar, bugg .. you get the idea – easy mistakes to make!
Twitter: dreamingspain
I speak pretty good French, because I have a good ear for languages, but sometimes people assume my French is better than it is, because it sounds impressive.
When I was 18, I was at a border post between France and Switzerland, so I did the speaking. We had a few questions and answers, which I managed fine. Then he asked me something I didn’t understand, so I rather stupidly said “I’m sorry, I don’t speak French” even though I patently did.
Next thing I know, the customs officer is putting on his latex gloves and getting ready to give me a body search. I can honestly say, I have never been so scared in my life! Luckily, the other customs officer took pity on me, and we escaped, me with rectum intacto!!!!
MORAG!
How terrifying at the time, and how screamingly funny an anecdote!
Twitter: dreamingspain
I speak pretty good French, because I have a good ear for languages, but sometimes people assume my French is better than it is, because it sounds impressive.
When I was 18, I was at a border post between France and Switzerland, so I did the speaking. We had a few questions and answers, which I managed fine. Then he asked me something I didn’t understand, so I rather stupidly said “I’m sorry, I don’t speak French” even though I patently did.
Next thing I know, the customs officer is putting on his latex gloves and getting ready to give me a body search. I can honestly say, I have never been so scared in my life! Luckily, the other customs officer took pity on me, and we escaped, me with rectum intacto!!!!
MORAG!
How terrifying at the time, and how screamingly funny an anecdote!
Twitter: dreamingspain