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Can any native Spanish-speakers answer this question?
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Anonymous
| OP, you need to stretch your mind a bit and learn Spanish from people who hold high university degrees. You’re welcome to pay $40-70 for tutoring. |
Anonymous
| Condescending. |
Anonymous
. Op- the Spanish in that post above is not good. Don’t say that. |
Anonymous
| If you are at a restaurant and the people sitting at the next table are speaking Spanish, DON’T assume they are there to teach you the language. Let people enjoy their lunch, dinner, or tea. |
Anonymous
| I was a Peace Corps volunteer in a Russian speaking country, and people with very limited English skills were always trying to speak to me in English. I worked really hard to learn Russian, and I spoke it well. It was really annoying to have people practice on me. However...that was, in many ways, MY JOB. I was a representative of the American people, and a sort of ambassador. The point was cultural exchange. And it still annoyed me that people thought I wouldn't speak Russian. I say that only because if it annoyed me, where cultural exchange was expected, I can only imagine how much it annoys people here for whom English MAY be a second language. The fact that you tell people you want to speak in Spanish to practice makes things much better - you are clear in your request, at least, which removes the condescending piece. |
Anonymous
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I speak basically fluent Spanish, having lived in Latin America and Spain for about 7 years total, and I don't generally speak Spanish with people here in DC. I do think it comes across as condescending, especially when your Spanish isn't great. My general rule is that you converse in the language that both people speak the best. Since my Spanish is advanced, I will switch into Spanish if someone is really struggling, but I give them the chance to work on their own language skills by speaking to me in English first. I think that's not condescending as Spanish is the language that the both of us obviously interact with the best, but again, I'm not a beginner.
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Anonymous
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If not a tutor, maybe try to find some meet-up groups where the express purpose is to practice the target language?
I have the opposite problem: I am mixed race from SE Asia and have a very ambiguous look. In the US, I’m most often mistaken for being Latina. Native Spanish speakers routinely & persistently speak to me in Spanish and don’t seem to believe that I just don’t speak it. I’ve got 4 other languages plus English in my brain. No more room! |
Anonymous
| Sign up for an adult Spanish class. My friend's dad did this when he retired and had the time to practice. Much of the class was just sitting in small groups or one-on-one having a conversation. His son is fluent in Spanish and now he can carry on a decent conversation with him. |
Anonymous
Esta perfecto- native speaker here |
Anonymous
Hopefully no one took this seriously, but if they did please do NOT do this. Yes they are getting paid for their time, but they're also under a lot of pressure to finish their calls in a certain amount of time. Having to try to get through a call with Bev from DC who wants to use them to practice her barely coherent Spanish will stress them out. Don't. |
Anonymous
or tutor online for $15 an hour. |
Anonymous
This very... I am native Spanish speaker. Latin America. But I understand Spanish in the Spain method of it being taught. Here’s the thing when you speak Spanish and are speaking slow in a different tone it’s unnatural and very rude If you start the convo with “hi I am learning how to speak, would you like to tell me if I’m doing great”, that’s warm and welcoming. |
Anonymous
| It's kind of ridiculous that Americans are encouraged to learn a second language, there are a ton of Spanish speakers in the DC area, yet it's rude to speak Spanish to them. What's the point? It's fun to learn a language but apparently you're better off joining a meetup group where you're supposed to be learning, or going to a Spanish speaking country where you have to speak the language. |
Anonymous
| I speak both English and Spanish natively and would not want to carry on a conversation with someone at a basic or intermediate level in Spanish. The point of our communication is to exchange ideas and information, not help someone acquire language competence. However, if my English were weak, I don't think I would take offense to it, I would see it as someone trying to help me communicate with them. |
Anonymous
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So, people who speak languages other than English are annoyed when Americans try to speak their language? Interesting. You would think they would think it's nice that Americans show an interest and try to engage in dialogue using their language.
We have traveled to many French and Spanish speaking countries, and people have seem pleased when our kids use basic phrases in their language. Truly pleased. Perhaps there is something about being in America that just makes everyone an easily annoyed, easily offended jerk? |