Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Spanish Lesson
Learning Spanish is one thing.
- Speaking Spanish in a casual conversation is another.
- - And using Spanish in the workplace in an entirely and completely different ballgame.
I met a girl in the micro-credit office this afternoon, and nearly broke down and cried because I could barely understand her, and I felt as if I was more of an annoyance to her than anything.
(It´s funny, in the midst of all the Guatemalan disaster, there´s someone here giving me a rundown about a micro-credit program that they´re using and some of the problems that they´re having with it. But, there´s no one else really in the office because they´re all out in the communities helping with immediate relief efforts. Jeez it really put some things in perspective and made that hour seem entirely useless).
She spoke really fast. Really really fast. And even though I asked her to slow down, there really was no slowing down. So I thought to myself - I am screwed.
But I went back the following days and felt waaaaaaay better. I could understand what people were saying! I hope it´s just that one girl I have a tough time understanding... but vamos a ver because supposedly I am working in the micro-credit office and inevitably with her. Soooooo... two things can either happen: she speaks more slowly and clearly, or I start understanding Spanish better.
I have a feeling all the ownest will be on me with this girl.
- Speaking Spanish in a casual conversation is another.
- - And using Spanish in the workplace in an entirely and completely different ballgame.
I met a girl in the micro-credit office this afternoon, and nearly broke down and cried because I could barely understand her, and I felt as if I was more of an annoyance to her than anything.
(It´s funny, in the midst of all the Guatemalan disaster, there´s someone here giving me a rundown about a micro-credit program that they´re using and some of the problems that they´re having with it. But, there´s no one else really in the office because they´re all out in the communities helping with immediate relief efforts. Jeez it really put some things in perspective and made that hour seem entirely useless).
She spoke really fast. Really really fast. And even though I asked her to slow down, there really was no slowing down. So I thought to myself - I am screwed.
But I went back the following days and felt waaaaaaay better. I could understand what people were saying! I hope it´s just that one girl I have a tough time understanding... but vamos a ver because supposedly I am working in the micro-credit office and inevitably with her. Soooooo... two things can either happen: she speaks more slowly and clearly, or I start understanding Spanish better.
I have a feeling all the ownest will be on me with this girl.
# posted by doris : 5:58 PM
