Hola!
The Husband is back from his eight-day trip to Mexico. He spent his time there providing medical treatment in a very run-down area south of Guadalajara, Mexico. He came back frustrated with his Spanish. He could express most of what he needed to while he was down there. However, he had a really hard time once patients decided to elaborate and provide details about their conditions. Some of the stories he told about his colleagues confusing Spanish words were hilarious (I kinda wish they were mine!). Although, honestly I don't know how someone would confuse 'pulmones' with 'cajones'. Look it up... although the definition of 'cajones' probably won't jive with the slang. :)
Luckily, while he is frustrated, he is still motivated. We've continued to speak Spanish around each other. I find I like to listen to it and read it, while The Husband prefers to study grammar and rules. Put us together and we make a great team!
I'm starting to look into local (Kansas City area) language schools. Hopefully I'll be able to take a language class this summer. In the meantime, we'll keep trucking along!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
¿Por cuánto tiempo?/How long?
Yesterday we were sitting around talking about The Husband's trip to Mexico. He went upstairs to change out of his church clothes and came downstairs all fired up. He said something like, "No Inglés. Sólo en español por tres días." Which, in our house, would typically sound like, "No English. Only Spanish for three days." My response, "What?", accompanied by a confused look. Soon we decided that we needed a crash course so... 'sólo en Español' started at 3:00 yesterday afternoon.
It ended at 4:15 yesterday afternoon. ;)
It was actually really fun but mentally exhausting. We were making dinner together and actually had a lot of conversation. The rule was that we couldn't use our phones (Google translate and Spanish/English dictionaries)to look up phrases or words (to help us get our point across) 'first'. We had to try everything we could, different Spanish words, pointing, miming, etc. THEN we could use our other resources to either confirm that we said the right thing or look up what we were attempting to say. I was pleased but we quit after an hour and fifteen minutes. The idea was to pick it back up later in the day but we didn't.
It was hard. Exhausting. Humbling. Fun? Yes. But kind of hard restraining myself. If I can't talk in English, I'm forced to not say much. What can I say? Later, we wanted to try it again but it wasn't as appealing... probably because there is nothing relaxing about it. I know that sounds bad. I guess I'm not sure if we should go "all out" and just make ourselves do it or if we should ease-in in little spurts. I'm probably just being a weeny and a bit lazy about it.
Maybe we'll try it again tonight?
It ended at 4:15 yesterday afternoon. ;)
It was actually really fun but mentally exhausting. We were making dinner together and actually had a lot of conversation. The rule was that we couldn't use our phones (Google translate and Spanish/English dictionaries)to look up phrases or words (to help us get our point across) 'first'. We had to try everything we could, different Spanish words, pointing, miming, etc. THEN we could use our other resources to either confirm that we said the right thing or look up what we were attempting to say. I was pleased but we quit after an hour and fifteen minutes. The idea was to pick it back up later in the day but we didn't.
It was hard. Exhausting. Humbling. Fun? Yes. But kind of hard restraining myself. If I can't talk in English, I'm forced to not say much. What can I say? Later, we wanted to try it again but it wasn't as appealing... probably because there is nothing relaxing about it. I know that sounds bad. I guess I'm not sure if we should go "all out" and just make ourselves do it or if we should ease-in in little spurts. I'm probably just being a weeny and a bit lazy about it.
Maybe we'll try it again tonight?
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Una Proposición./A Proposition.
The studying hasn't been quite as consistent as I'd hoped but I'm still plugging away. The Husband is heading to Mexico soon. He hasn't studied as much as he'd hoped so he's planning a Spanish Crash Course while on the plane. Hopefully he'll come back motivated and excited to use the language more around me.
At this point I'm seriously considering how I can maybe "rent a Spanish-Speaking Friend". Does that exist? I just want someone to hang out with once a week or so that will speak to me in Spanish, will correct me, laugh, and point while I attempt to speak to her in Spanish. Doesn't that sound enticing? Any takers?
At this point I'm seriously considering how I can maybe "rent a Spanish-Speaking Friend". Does that exist? I just want someone to hang out with once a week or so that will speak to me in Spanish, will correct me, laugh, and point while I attempt to speak to her in Spanish. Doesn't that sound enticing? Any takers?
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Nueva Instrumento/New Tool
I forgot to mention something in my last post. I found a cool new book. It's called Listen 'n' Learn Spanish with Your Favorite Movies. It kind of outlines movies by DVD chapter, with corresponding spanish vocabulary to go with each scene. The movies are divided into Beginner, Advanced Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. It has spanish vocab to go with movies like, The Fox and the Hound, The Princess Bride, The Absent Minded Professor, The Chronicles of Narnia, Home Alone, Rocky III, Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles, among several others. Of course I've already started studying The Princess Bride vocab. I'm confident I can now watch (en español)up to the scene where Wesly and Inigo duel. I know, it is pretty close to the beginning of the movie... just let me have my victories, small as they may be!
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