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Politics : View from the Center and Left
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To: epicure who wrote (105062)2/27/2009 10:26:32 PM
From: quehubo  Read Replies (1) of 542970
 
I studied hard through 4 semesters of College Spanish. I had two coworkers one from Colombia and another from Peru who I practiced with. I expected to be transfered to a project coastal Colombia (not far from Cartegena) so I was serious, if not gifted with languages.

It was a very challenging and a very draining immersion. After about two months we had a contractor visit from Bogota, I heard him speaking and I thought that was the Spanish I learned in college.

Anyway after 3-4 months for mental translating I started thinking in Spanish. Soon after I could sit in meetings and not be distracted by 2-3 people talking at once.

I agree reading is something much different than just speaking. My proficiency was limited to a rather large vocabulary, but many words were technical. Reading and really comprehending fully literature, not in my lifetime.

Even after two years in country speaking almost only Spanish in town and at work I wonder if I was hitting 80% understanding. In town with a local who rarely encounters a person who speaks Spanish as the second language, it was tough.

Accents, idiomatic expressions, speed, etc.

I wonder how many of these movies are BS with people able to convince others that they are local in many languages.

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