Spanish love (not to be confused with a Spanish lover, of which I have none)
I completely and whole-heartedly adore Spanish. It frustrates the hell out of me, but I can't help but hold a special place in my heart for the language and culture.
I'm still struggling with my spoken Spanish. I read an article in my Spanish book about different levels of second language acquisition, and it said that it is not unusual for some students to graduate with a degree in Spanish and only scratch the surface of the advanced level.
I feel I'll be intermediate forever. What a death sentence. If I only have an intermediate understanding of Spanish, my future employers will not want to use me to speak to our Spanish customers. I will therefore have very little chance of increasing my knowledge by speaking the language every day.
To use it, I have to reach an advanced level. To reach an advanced level I have to suck it up and stop being too nervous to talk to native speakers. Dammit, Cubans with the dropping of 's' and 'r' and Puerto Ricans with their fast-paced mashed up Spanish that I can't understand.
I just blank when I try to talk to native speakers. I get nervous and I don't want to mess up my grammar or forget how to say a word or do the dumb-ass Spanglish move. Or, GOD FORBID, use 'like' in the middle of speaking to them.
These are just a few of my Spanish grievances. I really do love it, though it may not seem that way right now.
I cannot wait to go to Seville and live with a Spanish family with Jen and speak Spanish every single day and take Spanish classes and eat Spanish food and eat, sleep and breathe Spanish.
I can't wait for siestas. God, do they have the right idea.
I'm still struggling with my spoken Spanish. I read an article in my Spanish book about different levels of second language acquisition, and it said that it is not unusual for some students to graduate with a degree in Spanish and only scratch the surface of the advanced level.
I feel I'll be intermediate forever. What a death sentence. If I only have an intermediate understanding of Spanish, my future employers will not want to use me to speak to our Spanish customers. I will therefore have very little chance of increasing my knowledge by speaking the language every day.
To use it, I have to reach an advanced level. To reach an advanced level I have to suck it up and stop being too nervous to talk to native speakers. Dammit, Cubans with the dropping of 's' and 'r' and Puerto Ricans with their fast-paced mashed up Spanish that I can't understand.
I just blank when I try to talk to native speakers. I get nervous and I don't want to mess up my grammar or forget how to say a word or do the dumb-ass Spanglish move. Or, GOD FORBID, use 'like' in the middle of speaking to them.
These are just a few of my Spanish grievances. I really do love it, though it may not seem that way right now.
I cannot wait to go to Seville and live with a Spanish family with Jen and speak Spanish every single day and take Spanish classes and eat Spanish food and eat, sleep and breathe Spanish.
I can't wait for siestas. God, do they have the right idea.