A new pencil, a new notebook, my book bag, an orange and a bottle of water. All things I took with me on my first day of Spanish School here in Girona. Man, I wish I had that Peanuts lunch box still.........Well, I am back at school. Quite a humbling experience learning Spanish for a 2nd time. I sure hope it sticks this time. :)
I am taking Spanish classes at the public school 4 days a week, 2 hrs a day. It is absolutely wonderful and challenging all at the same time.
The teacher, Elena, only speaks to us in Spanish.
She also only allows us to speak in Spanish at class. This gets a little difficult sometimes but I am so grateful for the 2 hours of just trying to listen and understand someone speaking a foreign language to me. There all lots of different people in my class, old and young, Asian, Dutch, Irish, Russian, French, boys and girls. I have already made a new friend. Her name is Elizabeth. She is from Chicago and she has become my information button. She loves to help me find new things, like where to eat, where to go swimming. She tells me there is a big Ex-Pat community here. She is quite sweet and we walk to school together for the time being as she lives right near the apartment we are staying at in the Barri Vel (old town Girona). So, I have 3 classes under my belt and it is great. I hope that after a month or so things start to click. As of today I still have to use the dictionary most of the time to understand the homework, our books or Elena.
I have to admit I keep thinking that this should be easy, and then my friend Yvette said to me "I would be offended if it was so easy to learn a language, then all my hard work would just be for nothing. (she speaks 5 languages) Jill it just takes time." She's right.... it is just going to take some time.
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2 comments:
Go easy on yourself. Language is hard - most of us don't even speak or write English well! If it makes you feel any better, my father's first language was Spanish, my mom spoke both languages growing up, and I took three years in high school, two in college and have a vocabulary of a three year old. Actually, that's giving me too much credit! Most of my Spanish these days comes from Dora the Explorer. Keep at it. As with the rest of life, everything comes with time.
Jen, thanks for the words of wisdom...you are right just need to give myself a little time!
:) Hope you are well!
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