Lair Davis

 

How is it that you know what I mean by that phrase, “The language thing?” You do, though, ¿verdad?

In the above sentence, did you intuit that the Spanish word “¿verdad?” means “right?” or “correct?”

How about that English word “intuit?” You knew the meaning of that one, right?

Funny, this “language thing.” Full of colloquialisms, Americanizations, the “King’s English” (whatever that is!). How do we ever learn it?

Just like a baby does, of course. We hear it, and we repeat it — hear it some more, repeat it some more, sometimes even embellishing it with our own distinctions.

I have been studying Spanish now for a year. I spent my first month in Costa Rica enrolled in Intercultural, an excellent language school — at least it was for me. However, I did not become fluent in Spanish by studying in small classes for four hours every day Monday through Friday for a month. That’s not to mention the homework; we had plenty of that as well, which usually took at least an additional hour of study per day.

Although I did not become fluent in Spanish, I did get a “running start” on learning how to communicate in the predominant language of my new home country. I learned how the Spanish language works, which is very important if one entertains hope of becoming a fully functional resident in a Spanish-speaking land.

Since I finished my formal study last year, I have spent my mornings studying Spanish on my own. I have developed quite a good system, I believe. I devote two hours every single morning without fail to the effort. It is easier to do that than one might imagine since I am retired. Those who live in a Spanish-speaking country and yet are unwilling to give the language-learning process that much time, I feel, cannot be serious about becoming competent in Spanish.

Who was it who said, “Lighting a candle only reveals the surrounding darkness” (or something like that)? I understand what they mean. Although I have made great strides in the past year, I also have learned not to expect to become truly fluent in Spanish ever — I will forever struggle to remember the correct word, its pronunciation, the order of the words, the subtleties of the language. And don’t even start to talk about the “tiquismos,” those words, phrases and expressions common only to ticos (Costa Ricans)!

Language learning for me had to become a game, much like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Today I might complete the puzzle successfully, getting all the pieces in the right places. But tomorrow, when I begin to put that same puzzle together, how many pieces do you think I will remember where they go?

Well, I do a little better than that in the game of learning Spanish! It is important, though, that I not beat myself up when I cannot remember today what I knew only yesterday. Otherwise, I will just get frustrated and discouraged. Can’t have that!

That’s no way to play a game called “The Language Thing!”