Job Discussion Forums

[cscx]

I was wondering just how many of you folks would consider yourselves to be fluent in Spanish, and if you were fluent before you came to Mexico?

I came this summer with the intent of improving my Spanish...and I did, to some extent. However, most of the Mexicans I spent time with were much more interested in speaking to me in English. I know that this varies greatly from region to region, city to city, but how often do you find yourself speaking each language? Have you reached the point where you think in Spanish, and even dream in it?

I myself have had a few dreams in Spanish but I have no idea if they made sense.

[Guy Courchesne]

I didn't speak a word of Spanish before coming, though I did pick up a Spanish grammar book a month before. It looked like French, so it didn't seem hard. I'd say I reached a comfortable level of fluency after about 6 months, without a class, simply by being here.

My wife says I must dream in Klingon based on what she hears when I talk in my sleep.

Nowadays, I'm comfortable speaking either English or Spanish, often at the same time, depending on with whom I'm speaking. I think there's a point where you stop translating or thinking in either language and simply communicate or react. That however, has caused me grief in that I find some ideas are more quickly or efficiently communicated in one language over the other, meaning, the odd Spanish word or phrase slips into my English or the reverse.

[ls650]

Before I came to Mexico I knew nothing of Spanish, not even numbers. After about 30 months, I'd say I'm a pre-intermediate level: maybe a 3.5 or 4 on a scale of one to 10.. My reading and writing are stronger, in the low intermediate range, but I really struggle with listening.

Although I'm not close to fluency, I can hold a basic conversation now, and strangely enough I often think to myself, about basic things at least, in Spanish.

[aisha]

I would consider myself almost fluent. I have my BA degree in Spanish and International Studies. I spent the summer in Mexico and I was very happy with my level of Spanish. I pretty much understand everyone. I can relate in that I've stopped translating in my head. Also now that I'm back in cold Michigan (until dec 16th yay) I still find myself once in a while wanting to express myself in Spanish and not English.

[mapache]

After two years, I have learned enough Spanish to do almost anything here. I have been too busy (translation: lazy) to learn all the verbs and their conjugations. (Students: do as I say and not as I do)
I agree with Guy that, after a while, you just communicate. I can read and understand Spanish but sometimes I can't understand a word fast talkers say.
When my friends speak more slowly for me, I can understand almost everything. I was wondering how many of you speak Spanish to your students. I went from working with a complete ban to now using Spanish to explain the more complicated grammar points to my intermediate and advanced students only. I find this effective and time saving but the rest of our conversations and lessons are always in English.

[MELEE]

[delacosta]

Yeah I'd consider myelf very fluent. I learned Spanish as a teen in Buenos Aires, where I lived from 12 to 16.
I picked up a minor in university in Spanish, just so I wouldn't forget it, but had become quite rusty by the time I moved here six years ago.
I picked it up again very quickly and am married to a Mexican woman who tries to speak a lot of English, but since my Spanish is better than her English I switch to Spanish whenever I get impatient or want the meaning to be perfectly clear.
I definitely think and dream in Spanish. With my wife and other long term English teachers here we kind of have our own mixture of the two, where we know which words 'fit ' better in each language.
My reading has improved a lot from when I first arrived, mostly by reading 'commie rags' like Processo and La Jornada.

The only time I have difficulty is when listening to Puerto Angel fishermen or groups of chilangoes talking together. There's just too much slang that I'm not familiar with.