My Spanish has progressed....

For one of my classes, we had to write a report over a famous person from the country we are going to.  For another class, we had to record a video of ourselves reading something.  It could be anything we want since the main purpose was to read the video smoothly and with appropriate enunciation and not "como un roboto"  (like a robot).  So I decided to do a video of me reading my report and share it with you guys.  I am aware there are several mistakes in the video, but figured it would be a good way to show my progress to those of you who keep asking for proof I am learning.... in other words,

This video is for you, Sandy; because we all know it is all about you.

Pride cometh before a fall…..eth.

“I’M DOING AWESOME AT SPANISH!”

Oh no.... wait:

“I’VE LEARNED NOTHING THE ENTIRE TIME I’VE BEEN HERE!”

Those two statements are the extremes and not really my thoughts, but I do bounce between one side and the other of that spectrum of thinking.

I will have a day or moment when I feel like I have just nailed the conversation.  We will be in class and I will know a word my classmates don’t, remember the conjugation for a word when others can’t or without help, or just understand the directions the teacher gave and feel pretty good about my progress in Spanish.  There are times when I will talk to the teachers or someone on the street or at church and the Spanish flies out of their mouth quicker than an F-15 taking off.  I don’t miss a beat but understand most of what they say and I am able to adequately respond and have an actual conversation (albeit a short one).  I walk away with a smile on my face and a dance in my heart.

Then it happens.  I see someone else I know and they come up to me and start talking to me:

“Hola.  ¿Cómo está?”  In that moment the only thing I can do is look at him and say,

“I don’t speak any Spanish.  What did you say?”   I walk away not with a smile on my face but with teeth gritted in frustration- and not with a little man dancing for joy in my heart, but that same man lying on the floor screaming in pain as he just broke his ankle trying to dance.

Just a few days ago in class we were talking and the teacher asked when I study.  I knew enough Spanish to joke and tell her, “Oh I don’t study because I have already learned all there is to know about the Spanish language.”  I think she knew it was a joke- she laughed and then said something I couldn’t understand as it was in Spanish.

Obviously I have moved on past “hello, how are you?”  But, God does a good job of recognizing when I am getting a bit too confident and cuts me back down to size.  I have never gotten so frustrated I felt like crying, nor excessively prideful in my linguistic abilities, but either one could happen at times.  Fortunately, the pride does come before the fall so anytime I am getting too confident, God helps me to remember I know approximately 2.8% of what I need to know and will be a lifelong student of this language.  In the same way, when I get to the point of being frustrated and prefer to stop talking or listening, He helps me to have a moment of success to show me just how much I have progressed.  He is definitely a good God that gives us exactly what we need- whether we think it is a “good” thing or a “bad” thing that has happened- God gives it to us so it is good for us. 

Meet the Teacher, Part 2

We now have the video for another teacher, Karen.  She is the academic director of our school.  Take a look a the video.  Also, when she says she sometimes speaks a few other languages; take my word for it that she is being quite modest.

Perspective changes things...

After what feels like 4 months of being out of classes- we finally have resumed school to begin my second trimester of Spanish.  It is amazing what perspective does for you.  I have always done well in school, even if I didn’t enjoy it.  Once I got older I was always very ready for school to start back up to resume the social aspect of school, and I’d put up with the classes in the process.  My schooling now is totally different.  Most of my friends live very close to us, so I was able to have the social aspect the entire time we were on break, so I was not looking forward to school resuming for that reason.  Now, I have been anxious for school to start back up for the classes.  Having the knowledge that this part of my education will directly and strongly impact my future life as I settle into the community in Mexico as well as my effectiveness for God changed my whole outlook.  I no longer desired school for the friends I’d see, but for the information I would learn.  So, this short post is for one reason,  to say:

I’M SO GLAD TO BE BACK IN CLASS!