Gringo speaking Spanish status

[something_of_the_night]

I haven't met her, but judging from her posts, Aunt Clara's English RULES! I bet she speaks other languages as well.

Where are you, young lady?

[Chip00]

Originally Posted by CFA123

I didn't mean to hijack your thread... I do envy your growing proficiency in Spanish and hope I can get there one of these days.

I created this thread as encouragement for people to continue studying and learning Spanish, especially the ones who live here. It really pays in my opinion to study the grammar and verbs diligently. After that practice speaking and listening even a lot more. Also, I never really did exceptionally well in school, never at the top of my class and never did well in languages either - just a plain B student.

So the moral of the story is even though someone may be in there 30's or older one should be able to get to a comfortable point in speaking Spanish with a serious effort. To summarize - study grammar and listen and speak a lot and equally important - don't be afraid to fail - confidence is important. Best of luck.

[xamaicano]

She and a couple other Dominicans on this board write circles around most of the native English speakers here.

Originally Posted by something_of_the_night

I haven't met her, but judging from her posts, Aunt Clara's English RULES! I bet she speaks other languages as well.

Where are you, young lady?

[something_of_the_night]

Originally Posted by xamaicano

She and a couple other Dominicans on this board write circles around most of the native English speakers here.

What's even more amazing about Pib's command of the English language, is that she learned it IN THE DR.

[Chip00]

Originally Posted by something_of_the_night

What's even more amazing about Pib's command of the English language, is that she learned it IN THE DR.

Kid - I don't doubt that - I'm just saying that I haven't met many people here other than a handful that speak English well. I believe cobraboys gf learned English here and she speaks very well. It is probably because I haven't been exposed to the cultural elite here and if you saw how I dress everyday you'd probably know why - I get flagged often enough on my 115 to pick people up!

[something_of_the_night]

Originally Posted by Chip00

Kid - I don't doubt that - I'm just saying that I haven't met many people here other than a handful that speak English well. I believe cobraboys gf learned English here and she speaks very well. It is probably because I haven't been exposed to the cultural elite here and if you saw how I dress everyday you'd probably know why - I get flagged often enough on my 115 to pick people up!

Chip, your "Dominican" Spanish is very good. The Kid is going to Santiago to find me a morenita que tenga tumbao.

[drloca]

Originally Posted by Chip00

I created this thread as encouragement for people to continue studying and learning Spanish, especially the ones who live here. It really pays in my opinion to study the grammar and verbs diligently. After that practice speaking and listening even a lot more. Also, I never really did exceptionally well in school, never at the top of my class and never did well in languages either - just a plain B student.

So the moral of the story is even though someone may be in there 30's or older one should be able to get to a comfortable point in speaking Spanish with a serious effort. To summarize - study grammar and listen and speak a lot and equally important - don't be afraid to fail - confidence is important. Best of luck.

Thank you...I found this very motivational and inspiring.

[Squat]

Fluent Cibaeño speaker here, and yes, it makes my gringo life easier

[NYC_Trini_Span]

I'd lived in Sosua about 3 months before i felt comfortable with all persons i encountered (albiet VERY limited) but at the time i had self studied for 6 months. I memorized 101 most important verbs before leaving, and had done the first 15 lessons of a popular "CRAZY" audio course. I keep leaving DR for 5 or 6 months in between my stays, but can say I'm about where Chip seems to be. I can rattle of things to Dominican strangers and they assume I'm DominicanYork or Haitian (a lot of them speak EXCELLENT spanish). I think my most beneficial time was when i shunned all Ex-pats for 3 months to spend my days in Maranatha/Charmicos areas. I got all my slang like to' and na' (todo/nada) which made conversation clearer with locals, learned how to "saca" my S's at will (I can put them back in at will), and learned to tell woman to "guardame" un chin de "con con" , and guy how to "hazte" a good "paja" LOL.
I will be back in June, can't wait to learn more.
Some frown on slang, but as a New Yorker (ahem Noo Yawkah), I embrace it. BUT i can ALSO speak the proper West Indian (ie British/Queens) englsih my parents engrained in me. (Dont fool yourself and think in the islands we ACTUALLY learn to write Hey MON, Waagwon, Irie, etc. LOL, they just talk that way outside school) so that being said: I love to be able to slang it up with the youth and Speak properly with the Fogey's LOL

PS- I STILL study new verbs, or subjunctives, or the passive voice, etc. IT works. I can't imagine just living there without studying and trying to IMPROVE.

[Chip00]

Here's an update on some feedback of my spanish - I've been here in Santiago about 15 months straight now.

I was playing golf the other day and another fellow wanted to join our group so I greeted him in Spanish and told him I was a gringo right off the bat whereupon he replied "You speak like a cibaeno".

Also, I was at a get together with some Dominican friends and the wife of my buddy from Ecuador was saying how much more fluid my Spanish was.

The only problem that I have as Dominicans get very comfortable speaking with me is they really start throwing out all of the idiomatic expressions which keeps me on my toes a lot in addition to sometimes just completely losing me. One step forward sometimes can equal two steps back - oh well.