Language (i.e., Spanish!)

I think I have enough observations about trials and triumphs with Spanish (more trials than triumphs!) to justify a post, however, you’ll note that there will be no pictures (spoken words are hard to photograph and don't make very interesting photos), so this may end up being a bit duller than the rest. Written Spanish here seems very similar to the Spanish I studied the past few years and is relatively straight forward.  I have little problem understanding 80+% of most things I read, even without a dictionary, and a few key definitions are usually all it takes to comprehend.  Perhaps this is because of the relatively low average level of education, so signs, notices, etc., are written very simply, but in any case, I feel pretty good whenever something is in writing.  One place where I sometimes have difficulties with written, as well as spoken, Spanish is with the many plants, animals, foods, customs, etc., that I have no knowledge of, so there are, of course, new names for all of them.

Orally, I still struggle to speak at anything like a normal speed and arrive frequently at “road blocks” where I find myself at a loss while searching vainly for either the right word or some way to work around the right word.  I do feel I’m making progress but am still far away from thinking in Spanish.  I’ve made a couple of presentations about the designs I’m working on and attendees seemed to understand everything (and politely complement my abilities).  I also work side-by-side the locals daily and am able to ask for things and give information relatively easily.  There has even been a time or two that I’ve actually said a sentence or two with some modest fluency!  I think at least part of the problem is that it’s so long since I last learned a new language that I forget the struggles that I went through at the time.  (Although a petrifying brain may also be a factor!)

Many times I sincerely regret not having at least an introduction to Spanish when I was much younger.  I think that even if not used, having a language simmering in your subconscious is a tremendous advantage.  After years of limited practice, I find German words (and even French) popping into my head (if not my mouth) frequently when the Spanish word is not immediately accessible.  In fact, when caught off-guard a few days ago, a simple thank ended up as a stuttered D(anke) followed by M(erci) before finally arriving at Gracias.  I can’t tell you how many times that I’ve had to stifle a “gesundheit” before pulling a “salud” out of the next layer down in my brain.

 Even though I feel relatively comfortable communicating my ideas, there are also times when my Spanish is cause for great amusement.  I think I already wrote about the religious “salvation” of a piece of broken glass earlier.  My latest gaffe illustrates the problems with pocket-sized dictionaries.  One of my side-projects right now is installing some support struts in a couple of buildings, so I looked up the noun “support.”  The dictionary gave the word “sostén,” so I started using it for those struts as well as any other support piece on solar cookers or elsewhere.  Finally, one of the women pulled me aside and politely told me that I was actually describing a piece of women’s underwear that does, indeed, support, but it wasn’t the word for a support strut—and then we all started laughing.  Fortunately, Nicaraguans have a great sense of humor…

Aurally, however, I’m somewhat frustrated and seem to have made almost no progress with Nicaraguan.  I’m using the word “Nicaraguan” here in lieu of “Spanish” because, unlike the written language, the spoken language seems to have little resemblance to the Spanish I heard in class and on recordings.  (To my ear, anyway, Nicaraguan seems related to Spanish as Bavarian or Swiss German is related to standard German—although I don’t think it’s not quite that bad.)  Part of it, I’m convinced, is simply hearing deficit—I don’t hear nuances well and background noise is a disaster.  I’m trying to set up some lessons a couple of times a week to see if I can’t make some more progress with the local idiom before I leave.  Just today was a very illustrative example.  I was leaving for the morning to explore and my host family asked when I was going to return.  I didn’t understand at all and said so.  It was then repeated in Spanish that was completely clear and easily understood—I still don’t have a clue as to what was said the first time.  Another often-repeated example is the phrase “Que le vaya bien!” which means something like “may it go well with you.”  This is not an uncommon greeting and I hear it frequently, but there are times that I’m sure that’s what they are saying, but I’d never know from what I hear!  I think another contributing factor to my difficulties is that most folks here have a limited formal education and don’t have as many ways to rephrase the same thought, so they tend to simply repeat what they said the first time.  This often doesn’t help me much.

There are, of course, a host of slang expressions that show up in speech but are typically absent from writing and these are generally fun to learn (but I sometimes wish there were fewer!).   Also, word use can vary a bit from the Spanish I have learned.  For example, a number of food items have familiar names (empanada, tamale), but the versions here are unlike what we are familiar with.  The word for balloon that I learned was “globo,” while in Nicaragua it is “chimbomba.”  The word I learned for turkey was “pavo,” but here it is “chompipe“.  While perhaps annoying to a foreigner, these are similar to the differences between US and British English and I can cope which these fairly easily—in fact, many of these kinds of differences are very fascinating to learn.  

Before arrival, I was worried a bit by the vos form (a familiar form that is equivalent to tu).  Not only do I not know the vos conjugations, they don’t even show up in the on-line dictionary I use.  That, however, has not been as issue at all for two reasons:  1)  I don’t try to use it and 2) it’s a relatively easy form that is very regular.  My number one issue with comprehension is probably the frequent (seemingly almost universal) dropping of the letter “s.”  (There seem to be a few other consonants that soften, if not disappear, but my comprehension is such that I can’t figure out any patterns.)  Even a word I know very well, like “fiesta.” completely stumps me when it shows up in a sentence as “fieta.”  “Uno, dos, tres” becomes “uno, do, tre;” “Las Manos” (a town on the Honduran border) becomes “La Mano;”  and the here ubiquitous “adiós” (which means hello as well as goodbye—it’s the standard greeting when meeting someone on the street) becomes “adió.”  

In short, I can function reasonably well, but was hoping for a bit more progress, particularly in the comprehension of speech.  I still have about 7 more weeks, so I guess there’s still hope!  The process, though, has always been fun, even if a bit frustrating.  

So, adió for now!