Speakers of Bad Spanish-- UNITE

[twalr001]

So,

I'll admit that I suffer from "James Suckling" Spanish. That is, I "speak" Spanish (though I understand/read/write it well)-- I have sometimes terrible grammar, but yet I'm able to get my point across (JS admits that he speaks "bad" Spanish). Luckily, I'll be going to Mexico in the summer for 5 weeks, so it'll improve!

How did I start? I dated this Venezuelan girl (hot hot) for a year and three months. Within a month, I was asking silly "como se dice?" questions, and her family decided to immerse me-- I was listening to Spanish 7 days a week for about 4 hours at a time. Without the use of books, I picked it up enough to start speaking. Though it wasn't the best Spanish (the same applied to her parent's English), I was able to get my point across, and they really appreciated it. Even though we've been broken up for 2 years, I still read/write/hear (via radio) pretty regularly!

Does anyone else have a similar story, and admit that they they speak bad, but generally understood Spanish?

[samb]

I find that a lot of them that claim not to speak English actually under such phrases as "License and registration." "Put your mother f-ing hands on your head!" and lets not for get that instant classic, "You're goin' to jail."

[El Presidente]

A foreign language needs continuous work or is lost.

Shoot me your Ex's details as I am in desperate need of a Pen pal to maintain my Spanish

[cigarros]

Nice story! Thx!

Beside my native russian I speak\read\write\hear English, Romanian. Understand Italian and more balcanians languages (serbian, croatians etc). Agree with Rob - if you don't working on this you're fast lost it..

[gfoster]

I can order a beer and get my face slapped. That about sums up my foreign language skills.

Nah, seriously, I used to speak German passably well (I lived in Germany for three years) and when I go back to visit a surprising amount of it comes back to me. I also speak "suckling Spanish" and know enough Italian to at least handle the basic courtesy phrases and (very) basic communication. Hell you can't live in california without picking up *some* basic Spanish.

I make an effort to learn a little bit of the language wherever I visit, I find it smooths things over if people see I'm at least trying to make an effort instead of just expecting the whole world to speak my language (like the typical American). Besides that, learning the basic courtesy phrases (thank you, please, good morning, etc) is, well, just courteous and I actually go out of my way to be a painfully polite person whenever I can (Colt may not believe that, but I even say "excuse me" when I sneeze and I'm all alone, lol).

-- Gary F.

[android]

A foreign language needs continuous work or is lost.

Shoot me your Ex's details as I am in desperate need of a Pen pal to maintain my Spanish

[twalr001]

A foreign language needs continuous work or is lost.

Shoot me your Ex's details as I am in desperate need of a Pen pal to maintain my Spanish

tienes cuidado, hombre--- ella es una puta loca! jejejeje.

[PigFish]

I can say beer, and thank you in a few languages. It has gotten me by up till now! - Piggy

[Trevor2118]

I know enough German to get my listeners into hysterics.

[Rogers72]

I took 6 years of Spanish in high school and college. I used to be quite good but after 10 years of no use, I know almost nothing. I try to use bits and pieces as I deal with many people daily who use it as their primary language.

[thechenman]

Growing up in Southern California...I too took 6 years os Spanish. Two years in junior high and four years in high school. I even passed the Advanced Placement exam for Spanish my senior year of high school. Now my spoken Spanish is barely passable and I can't understand what is going on in a telanovela, as the actors speak too fast. Fortunately, I can still read, but it is probably at a 3rd Grade level.

[micahzeff]

After college I signed up for the Peace Corps. Because I had taken four years of Spanish in high school and had a background in agriculture, I was sent to Paraguay. Three months of intensive training 6 days a week while living with a Paraguayan family had me speaking Spanish proficiently. When I arrived at the site where I would spend the remaining two years of my service, a small rural hamlet of 125 people far from any paved roads or running water, I learned Spanish was of no use and I would have to learn Guarani. Since moving back to California five years ago, I use Spanish every day have never had an opportunity to speak Guarani.

[android]

I'm a big fan of Spanglish!

[Habanos2000]

My wife is Mexican, although she hasn't helped me one bit in learning spanish. I found the following phrases have helped me get through life:

dar me un beso

otra cervesa, por favor

donde esta el baño

quanto costa los puros?

[rudechuck]

My mother is Nicaraguan. My grandmother spoke only Spanish. I was her favorite grandchild because I agreed with her on everything. I had no idea what she was saying of course, but that didn't stop me from nodding my head and replying, "Si."

It's only been in the last couple of years that I've taken a real interest in learning the language. I still have a long way to go.

[cohiba]

A foreign language needs continuous work or is lost.

Shoot me your Ex's details as I am in desperate need of a Pen pal to maintain my Spanish

Rob just email Sheilla, youve met her already, she would love to be the pen pal. But .............she is still ALL MINE! I would happy to share that bit of her though!

I know how to "take one for the team" ....offering your wife? LOL

Its for a good cause!

[Ken Gargett]

So,

I'll admit that I suffer from "James Suckling" Spanish. That is, I "speak" Spanish (though I understand/read/write it well)-- I have sometimes terrible grammar, but yet I'm able to get my point across (JS admits that he speaks "bad" Spanish). Luckily, I'll be going to Mexico in the summer for 5 weeks, so it'll improve!

How did I start? I dated this Venezuelan girl (hot hot) for a year and three months. Within a month, I was asking silly "como se dice?" questions, and her family decided to immerse me-- I was listening to Spanish 7 days a week for about 4 hours at a time. Without the use of books, I picked it up enough to start speaking. Though it wasn't the best Spanish (the same applied to her parent's English), I was able to get my point across, and they really appreciated it. Even though we've been broken up for 2 years, I still read/write/hear (via radio) pretty regularly!

Does anyone else have a similar story, and admit that they they speak bad, but generally understood Spanish?

for a little while, some time, ago when i was spending some time with a cuban girl over a few visits, the spanish went from zero to vaguely awful but i could stumble along. but now back to close to zip. i used to have a small translation book that got us through a lot - she and i called it the 'magic book'. we did have some fun with the misunderstandings at times.

one was when we were at dinner at someone's place - forget who or why, they must have been friends of hers - and i was the only english speaker, other than basic stuff - so it was stumble along or forget it. they'd served the main which was some sort of meat but i was not sure. tried to ask what it was. somehow, no idea, this came out as 'what is that animal barking?' they've answered. i checked the magic book. must have gone green. mumbled something about different cultures and that i had not eaten dog before except in vietnam. the wife has looked at me like i'm from another planet.

they then worked out what had happened and they all laughed themselves senseless for the rest of the evening while i'm pushing the 'dog' around the plate looking for a pot plant to dump it. they kept encouraging me to finish. eventually they told me it was common old beef and that apparently dog is never on the menu in cuba.

[finecigar]

I can speak fluent Spanish, English, Hungarian(my origin), Korean,and can understand many others.

Don't ask me how...

[Wiley]

I took 6 years of Spanish in high school and college. I used to be quite good but after 10 years of no use, I know almost nothing. I try to use bits and pieces as I deal with many people daily who use it as their primary language.

This is my exact story, except for brief work in Guadalajara, Mexico. It comes back. I still have the occasional dream in Spanish.

I also have relatives who are native Spanish speakers. Once a year or so I'll get a call from some third cousin speaking rapid fire Spanish.