Spanish School (3 weeks in)

After three weeks of Spanish school, we feel like we know less than when we started. Of course, that is not true, but a few weeks of formal instruction has taught us how much we don't know (and it's a lot), and now we understand how much we have to learn.

As you might expect, we’ve been a bit frustrated at times. In addition to making the same mistakes over and over (although we are quicker to correct them now), we are also learning how much the little things matter. For example, in Spanish more so than in English, one letter can change everything – pesas means weights, but pasas means raisins. We don’t want to ask someone in the gym if they are done with the raisins they are using. Similarly, contar means to count, but cantar means to sing. So you need to be clear that you will count your change, not sing your change.

The importance of each letter has also brought unwanted attention to our handwriting. We are used to
making quick notes that will only be used for our own purposes and no one else will see. No one would want to read Shana's notes about a call with opposing counsel or from a deposition – they are sloppy and full of abbreviations. But now, as noted above, we need to write clearly to show, in particular, what vowels we are using (particularly at the end of words), and often Shana's o’s look like e’s and a’s look like o’s, all of which are probably the reverse of what they should be in Spanish. In English, you would know what she means, but in Spanish, that’s not the case. So now we’re self-conscious of our penmanship to boot!

In addition, prepositions are a big deal in Spanish. As native English speakers we often don’t pay much attention to those little words like “to, for, from, etc.” But in Spanish the prepositions are used to give very specific meaning. To go “a pie” means by foot, but “de pie” means standing (on your feet). (Pie, pronounced pee-ay, means foot, not a baked good with a crust.)

Finally, it is interesting to be in a class with students with different perspectives and experiences. This week, Shana’s class focused on vocabulary related to films (a welcome topic) and none of her 11 classmates had seen or knew of the Godfather II!

The New York Times reported this week that the United States now has by some counts more than 50 million “hispanohablantes” -- a greater number of Spanish speakers than in Spain. We recommend you start learning!

Adios,
Shana and Jeff