Learning Spanish, As Explained by GIFs

Related Video: My friend Carrie shared this in our Spanish class. I can relate. It is a SNL sketch of "the Mexican soap opera for people who only had three weeks of Spanish in the fourth grade." 

Before I came to El Salvador, my Spanish education was limited. I went to Spanish day camps in elementary school. However, at camp we mostly ate chips and salsa and made piñatas.  In a more formal setting, I had one semester of Spanish in the seventh grade. The two things I remember from that class are the alphabet song and playing Bingo.  So to suffice to to say, I knew very little Spanish. I knew basic phrases, but that was about it. 

Moving to a country in Central America, I really want to take advantage and try to learn as much Spanish as I can. I take Spanish classes two times a week. Unfortunately, this is sometimes the only time I speak Spanish in a week. I teach in English, and I live with other teachers who speak English. Learning Spanish has been a slow, frequently frustrating process. Here are some GIFs to explain what the process has been like. 

The People are Talking Really Fast, And I Have No Idea What They Are Saying

When I first moved to El Salvador, I did not understand the majority of what people said to me. I relied on others to translate or had to make inferences about what was being said to me. It's isolating, not being able to communicate with others. 

I've Told You I Don't Speak Spanish, and You Still Talk to Me In Spanish

My students at the beginning of the year would speak to me in Spanish. It took a long time for them to get out of this habit, because they found out I couldn't understand them. There are still adults who speak to me in Spanish, even thought they know I don't understand it. Also, coming physically closer to me and making incessant eye contact will not help me understand you.

The I Don't Know What's Being Said, So I'm Going To Zone Out

Many of our meetings at school are in Spanish. I frequently zone out, because they are talking to fast for me to understand what they are saying. I hope that if they say something important, they will tell me later in English. 

The I Recognize About 1/5 Of The Words You Are Saying

It feels like a small success to recognize even some of the words that are being said. 

The I Don't Know This Word, So I'm Going To Try Just Saying It With An Accent And/Or Add An A Or O to the End Of The Word

 I know this is not a good practice, but it does work some of the time.

The I'm Going To Ask You How To Say Everything

In Spanish class we are only supposed to speak in Spanish, so it is a lot of "como se dice _______?" How do you say behind? How do you say easy going? I know I just asked you five seconds ago, but I already forgot. How do you say _______?

The I Now Speak/Think In A Weird Mix of Spanish and English

Que Mas? Es muy dificil constantly translating back and forth. Mi brain hurts.  

The I Can't Speak Spanish, And My English Is Getting Worse

There's four of us?  There are four of us? Is that right? That doesn't sound right. 

The My Mind Just When Blank With What I Was Trying To Say

What is this word? I know I know it. I can't think of it, because my mind has gone completely blank. I can't even think of the word I'm trying to say in English now. 

The I Just Had a Conversation and Used The Wrong Word And/Or Conjugation

I just said that I like to touch my friends. That was not the word I wanted to say. 

The Buckle-Up Because It's Going To Take A Long Time To Figure Out How To Say What I Want To Say

First, I have to think about what I want to say. Then, I have to translate those words in Spanish. Then, I usually have to change what I wanted to say, because I don't know the words I want to say. I also have to figure out how to string them together in a sentence.  It takes a long time. Be prepared to wait as I tilt my head and stare up. 

The I Just Had A Conversation With Someone And Didn't Completely Mess Up

I just understood what that person said to me. They seemed to understand what I was saying. Success! Okay, this feels good. 

The Okay, Okay, Even Though It Doesn't Seem Like It My Spanish Actually Has Gotten Better

According to Duolingo, I am 35% fluent in Spanish. That's not true. They're lying. Or, more so, it's very hard to measure progress in a language. The progress is very slow, if it even seems like you are making progress. This can be very frustrating. Still, I have gotten better, even though it doesn't always seem like it. 

So, that's where I am right now with Spanish. Next post I will be talking about the privilege that comes with speaking English.