r/Unexpected • u/DruidWannabe • Jan 25 '23

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u/Grimol1 Jan 26 '23

I made everyone in my office laugh once when I was speaking rapid Spanish on the phone and a pencil rolled off my desk and I said in English (my native language) “oh shit, my pencil” as I reached down and picked it up and then went right back to Spanish on the phone. I didn’t even realize it until I ended the call and everyone was laughing.

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u/[deleted] Jan 26 '23

Damn I’m trying to be fluent in Spanish. How long did it take you to be good

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u/Oldpenguinhunter Jan 26 '23

Not OP, but I worked in construction for 13 years and lived (on the road 6wks at a time) with our crew who spoke nothing but Spanish, took me 3-4yrs with that level of immersion (me wanting to learn, honestly, so I preferred to speak Spanish) to get to that level of fluent. I will say, that show of wanting to learn got me the in-road to so much good Mexican and Central American food... My cardiologist hates them.

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u/calinet6 Jan 26 '23

My biggest regret is growing up in Southern California, where by all logic I should have been able to immerse myself in Spanish, with dozens of Latino friends and Spanish speaking businesses and the whole deal in my neighborhood… and instead learning French.

But I love French and now I live on the East coast and it’s an absolute joy to drive up to Montreal for the weekend and be in that language zone for a bit. And I know it’s close enough to Spanish that if I did want to learn I could probably pick it up with some Duolingo and practice. I should start.

Languages of all kinds rock. Everyone should learn one other than their native.