I've been dabbling with learning Spanish for nearly 20 years now. I've studied it from books and practiced it when we've traveled to Mexico. But this trip I'm really making an effort to learn the language. Harry and I have signed up for three small group lessons a week, complete with an excellent textbook and workbook. This time I'm determined to get beyond nouns and begin to master the verbs and other parts of speech so I can put sentences together properly.
Our instructor Pati, originally from Cuba, is very vivacious and a good teacher. There are three other people in our group so we get lots of individual attention. Today we're studying adjectives and adverbs. Here's one for you: inteligentemente (seven syllables!) It means intelligently but it's quite a mouthful in Spanish.
We are also going once a week to a conversational group at a place called Canucks. This is a gathering place for Americans and Canadians living in Mazatlan. Many, but not all, are here full time. This will be an opportunity to meet other English-speaking people. There are lots of them here. In fact, I believe our street is probably half Mexican and half Gringo.
Most of them have learned quite a bit of Spanish through living here and I'm determined to do so as well. We watch American movies with Spanish subtitles to learn vocabulary and Harry watches the news in Spanish. For me they talk way too fast but in time I may be able to follow a bit.
This is a good focus for us while we're here. We can't spend all our time at the beach or shopping. I'm also looking into an art group so I can get a little discipline about painting and drawing.
Hello!
ReplyDeleteSorry for not leaving comments more regularly - I've been reading avidly but in moments stolen from work or the general busy-ness of things around here. Your pictures are beautiful (as always). I especially loved the one of the old chairs in the hallwall at the Hotel Belmar. And you've been into the Posada Freeman as well?! So cool! I fell in love with that place the moment I saw it. It was closed up then, but easy to imagine how it could be glorious once again with some tlc (and a few million $'s!)
Bummer about the flea bites. Glad to hear mags and Geord are faring well in that regard. Too bad we couldn't just sprinkle on some advantage or program! Good luck with the van-bomb! Poor Wanda!
Too funny about your celebrity-ism. It must be very nice in a way to have that happen!
Hello to Harry and pats to the puppies from all of us. The weather is back to damp and cold. No sticking snow yet, but who knows...
love ya,
Lin
Good for you two! Learning a language is a great way to keep your mind young. The moving parts, that is...I'm not trying to say that your minds are old. Oh, you know what I mean.
ReplyDeletejoanna as a frequent visitor to the dominican this is a language i wish i spoke more easily so good on you for going after it!!! i just finished a book called "the lacuna" by barbara kingsolver which is largely based in mexico and features frida kahlo and diego rivera. the language challenges feature highly in the text!! steven
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