Hello my name is Gabriela and I am colombian and guatemalan. I was born here in the United States but my first language was spanish. I was raised in a spanish environment, especially because of my family and where we normally hung out. Everyone normally spoke spanish to one another so I always spoke spanish, it was like an instinct. I know how to read and write spanish the same way when I read and write in english. At work I normally speak english, but when I see a spanish person in trouble speaking I will end up speaking in spanish to them only because I don't want to make them feel uncomfortable. I know how that feels sometimes because when I was younger I didn't really understand english, i was fluent in spanish so when my teachers spoke to me I felt like I was in a different planet. With my friends I speak both english and spanish to them, they know that sometimes till this day I forget words and will end up saying it english.
I think language happens by surroundings and instinct. Its something that anyone can pick up or feel. Like if you hurt yourself and all of a sudden you say ow but you didnt know what that word meant. Learning a new language is like learning the first language. You hear it, say it and learn it. When someone is dedicated to learning a new language they will end up learning it. What I wonder about language is how it all originate or how that language ended up with an accent.
Hi Gabby, I think knowing spanish is an advantage in this city, if not country. The languages I speak is not very useful here, but speanish is definitely important. Like you said you assist spanish speaking people at work who does not speak english, in the same manner, I try to help the patient in my clinic, who are mostly spanish speaking and thats creates a barrier for me. No matter how dedicated Im at work and how I care about the patient's, our differences in language creates a barrier.
ReplyDeleteFeeling like an alien in high school is normal, even I experienced the same. I remember I only had Indian friends for a week or two in school because I spoke their language , even though I look different from them.
Hey Gaby I know how you feel. I had been around so much people that came from the Caribbean especial Jamaican that most time I just speak Patwa. It’s a bad habit for me because sometime I have to talk slowly (no joke, you may have notice) or I have to think before I talk or it going to come out all backwards. But for me my comfort zone is definitely with the my Caribbean people, basically if you from some sort of island I can relate to you and you don’t have to speak Patwa (broken English) either. lol
ReplyDeleteHi, just wanted to remind you, BP # 2 is due before the class tomorrow ( 9/18/2011)
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