Language Learning: Taking Off the Training Wheels

Image Courtesy of YYT Photo & Design

Last week at work, the 55 country code appeared on my phone display. Brazil. My first inbound call in Portuguese. It caught me off guard. I was busy helping another customer by email. Besides, I was afraid of imperfection. Let it go to voice mail. A more experienced Portuguese speaker can answer this prospect’s questions.

The line kept ringing. Ugh.

I answered.

Bom dia. Fala Jim. Você fala espanhol? Inglês?

Não. Não.

Continuing in my stellar and rudimentary Portuguese, I told the potential customer that I was learning her language. I asked her to please speak slowly.

She complied. I understood what she wanted. Then she threw me for a loop with one answer. Moving on, I asked for her company’s name. Never heard of it. I asked her to spell it so I could Google it and find the address. I wasn’t getting it. No visual clues. Exposed. After seven minutes, I got most of what I needed. I hung up, relieved it was over and hoping the recording would reveal answers I had missed. Painful to relive my errors. I had to call her back to confirm her email address. Turns out I had gotten that wrong, too.

Four months into this language exploration, I get frustrated. Portuguese and Spanish are so similar. Why is this taking so long?

I forget that these doubts are part of the process.

Without the struggles, how could I become so joyful when communicating with all the beautiful, smiling people I’ve met on Skype and Zoom? Without risk, how would I become grateful for the rewards. (More about those next time.)

When I focus on the failure, I lose sight of the successes—like the outbound phone call to another potential customer. The Brazilian who answered spoke English. He asked if wanted to practice Portuguese. Of course. After the business part of the call and a complement about my Portuguese, he asked where I was calling from. He was thrilled to learn I was in Boston, a place he had visited.

Common ground. Cooperação. Cooperación.

The pitfalls and potholes of learning Portuguese and Spanish have made me more grateful for the blessings I’ve enjoyed and more compassionate toward those who face similar obstacles in identifying their language learning goals and needs.

Are you contemplating learning Spanish or Portuguese? I’m here to listen.

Let’s get started.

Spanish for Star Wars Aficionados and Frikis →

Spain, 1983, El Retorno del Jedi arrived at movie theaters in Madrid. I don’t remember watching it and can only recall the billboards promoting this second Star Wars movie. I’m sure I mispronounced the title because, as a young Spanish student, I often made this Wookiee mistake: assuming that Spanish and English letters are pronounced the same.

My aim here is to help native English speakers avoid the dark side of Spanish Ds and Rs. As Obi-Wan Kenobe would say, “Your eyes can deceive you.”

Using the SlowMotion Spanish™ technique, let’s address this problem and boost your confidence in speaking.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” you might be saying to yourself?

Let’s deploy a simple Jedi mind trick. Say the following in English, slowly. Three times each.

1.       fuh-DEE-key

2.      tuh-dee low-HE-ah

3.      el ahl-CONE me-len-AH-dee-oh

4.      joe soy too PAH-duh-deh

5.      ah-YOU-thah-meh, Obi-Wan Kenobi. ED-ess me YOU-knee-kah es-ped-AHN-sah

6.      keh lah FWETTER-sah teh ah-comb-PAHN-yeh

Go back and say them again, young Jedi. This time, a bit more quickly. Crawl. Walk. Run.

Now, here’s what you said in Spanish:

1.      friki

2.     trilogía

3.     El halcón milenario

4.     Yo soy tu padre.

5.     Ayúdame, Obi-Wan Kenobe. Eres mi única esperanza.

6.     Que la Fuerza te acompañe.

Need more guidance with pronunciation? A customized learning plan? Someone to transcreate your movie script or soundtrack? I’m here to listen.

Let’s get started.

NHL and World Languages: Around the League and Alrededor del Mundo →

The great thing about the NHL: athletes from all over the world get why learning a second language is so important. Eleven Boston Bruins hail from outside the US and Canada; the current roster includes players who were born in the Czech Republic, Finland, Slovakia and Sweden.

Players from other teams come from those countries, as well as Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Norway, Russia, Slovenia, Switzerland and Ukraine.

No NHL players from Spain, South America or Mexico. Aside from Auston Matthews and Scott Gomez, who grew up in Spanish-speaking households, and perhaps Billy Guerin, whose mother is from Nicaragua, there are few who can at least understand Spanish.

Not that there isn’t anyone open to learning Spanish. Pierre-Luc Dubois of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who considers himself the third-best Russian speaker on the team, would like to recruit teammates to learn Russian, German or Spanish.

Until he wins over a teammate—and this goes for any NHL player or fan who wants to learn Spanish—Dubois might visit NHL.com/es. Launched in October 2019, it’s the league’s ninth native language site.

Dubois could also contact Los Angeles Kings prospect Akil Thomas, who when interviewed by Ron MacLean in April 2020, said that he grew up in Florida and took Spanish in high school. During this time away from the game, he’s reconnecting with the language.

Dubois, Thomas and fans can also find Spanish content from the Kings, Chicago Blackhawks, Vegas Golden Knights, and San Jose Sharks—all have all upped their multicultural marketing games.

If you’re a Kings fan, like my sister-in-law and her family, listen to the first goal called in Spanish on ESPN Deportes (depp-OATER-tess).

If you’re a Bruins fan like me, you can learn Spanish by reliving Juego Siete (who-EGG-oh see-YET-eh) against Toronto (May 13, 2013).

All NHL fans could see the day when ARG joins CAN, CZE, FIN, SVK, SWE, USA and the other fourteen listings in the birthplace column.

Argentina (otter-hen-TEEN-ah). Correcto. One of these youngsters could make it to El Show.

If you’re aiming for the NHL (or not), I can’t help you with your shot or foot speed (I’m a former low-scoring, shot-blocking amateur defenseman).

As a professional Spanish language consultant, I can assist you with your pronunciation, customize a learning plan for you or transcreate your team’s creative content.

Let’s get started with a free consultation.