"The idea is that in my target language I am not as confident, so I push myself to be more detailed, highlight the nuances of my experience, and make what I'm saying as accessible as possible."
This is a very simple idea, and I have a feeling you already know where I'm going.
In order to speak with correct grammar, a comprehensible accent, sophisticated vocabulary, it requires a hefty sum of mental focus, awareness, and diligence. Since Spanish is not my first language, I really have to concentrate on the conversation at hand in order to both understand what others are saying and to express myself correctly. This means that I think extra long about what I want to say. In other words, speaking Spanish forces me to slow down and think. And not just passing thoughts, either. Speaking Spanish gives me the opportunity to practice some deeply intimate, personal, contextual, introspective, emotional thinking--and then to express my thoughts fully.
Over the last year I've been practicing this with a Peruvian student over Skype (found him through this site: http://www.language-exchanges.org). His name is Ernesto and since we are both currently on break from school, we've had tons of time to shoot messages and calls back and forth. He (mostly) speaks to me in English and I (mostly) respond in Spanish. Therefore it takes each of us extra effort to express opinions and frustration, to discuss daily things, to explain what we're doing in non-native language. This extra effort is crucial, I believe, to gaining a unique perspective on our own lives--and each others.
One day recently, for example, I was trying to describe why I enjoy learning so much and, frankly, it took about twice as long as it might have in English. I had to explain my auto-didactic (self-teaching) tendencies step by step. Here are a few things I came up with:
1) I am a curious person - "Me pone curioso mucho."
2) Gaining knowledge is fulfilling to me. - "Me satisface aprender con frecuencia."
3) I like language because it helps me communicate with people I couldn't otherwise talk to.
- "Me encanta aprender idiomas porque me abren a mundos a los cuales no tengo acceso sin poder hablar el idioma."
What's cool about this conversation is that what I told Ernesto in Spanish was much more descriptive than what I would've said in English. These are not exact translations precisely because I wanted to be abundantly clear: I really do enjoy learning. The idea is that in my target language I am not as confident, so I push myself to be more detailed, highlight the nuances of my experience, and make what I'm saying as accessible as possible.
So, there it is. Spanish slows me down, makes me appreciate the subtleties in life. And of course this experience is not exclusive to the Spanish language. Go ahead and try it with any language, or any skill really. The learning curve is a delightful place to be.
(Inspired by this post, called "How I Learned to Shut up and Listen")
In order to speak with correct grammar, a comprehensible accent, sophisticated vocabulary, it requires a hefty sum of mental focus, awareness, and diligence. Since Spanish is not my first language, I really have to concentrate on the conversation at hand in order to both understand what others are saying and to express myself correctly. This means that I think extra long about what I want to say. In other words, speaking Spanish forces me to slow down and think. And not just passing thoughts, either. Speaking Spanish gives me the opportunity to practice some deeply intimate, personal, contextual, introspective, emotional thinking--and then to express my thoughts fully.
Over the last year I've been practicing this with a Peruvian student over Skype (found him through this site: http://www.language-exchanges.org). His name is Ernesto and since we are both currently on break from school, we've had tons of time to shoot messages and calls back and forth. He (mostly) speaks to me in English and I (mostly) respond in Spanish. Therefore it takes each of us extra effort to express opinions and frustration, to discuss daily things, to explain what we're doing in non-native language. This extra effort is crucial, I believe, to gaining a unique perspective on our own lives--and each others.
One day recently, for example, I was trying to describe why I enjoy learning so much and, frankly, it took about twice as long as it might have in English. I had to explain my auto-didactic (self-teaching) tendencies step by step. Here are a few things I came up with:
1) I am a curious person - "Me pone curioso mucho."
2) Gaining knowledge is fulfilling to me. - "Me satisface aprender con frecuencia."
3) I like language because it helps me communicate with people I couldn't otherwise talk to.
- "Me encanta aprender idiomas porque me abren a mundos a los cuales no tengo acceso sin poder hablar el idioma."
What's cool about this conversation is that what I told Ernesto in Spanish was much more descriptive than what I would've said in English. These are not exact translations precisely because I wanted to be abundantly clear: I really do enjoy learning. The idea is that in my target language I am not as confident, so I push myself to be more detailed, highlight the nuances of my experience, and make what I'm saying as accessible as possible.
So, there it is. Spanish slows me down, makes me appreciate the subtleties in life. And of course this experience is not exclusive to the Spanish language. Go ahead and try it with any language, or any skill really. The learning curve is a delightful place to be.
(Inspired by this post, called "How I Learned to Shut up and Listen")