On learning Spanish

Taken from Spanishclassesinmumbai.in

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

Como esta? (how are you?) como se llama (what is your name)? Dondi vives tu (where do you live).? 

These are just a few of the Spanish phrases that I knew by heart. Not only am I proud of having a grasp of a foreign language but my little knowledge of Spanish (Espanol) proved to be useful to me in my work. 

I took Spanish 1 to 4 in college way back in time. It was easy to memorize and remember then. Now this knowledge that laid dormant in my brain all these years waited for the time when it would be recovered again. Why?  

Working as an assistant teacher in one of the schools systems in the Carolinas I have noticed there are groups of students that converse in Spanish. I know that for sure. They talk among themselves in my class or in the hallways. 

I was surprised that I can understand what they're saying among themselves. I can add one word or phrase to another to make a complete sentence and even some complex sentences. Sort of a “little of this and a little of that.”

I have no idea where it came from. These conversations among young students reminded me of my Spanish classes at Liceo de Cagayan under Mr. dela Torre, I forgot his first name.

Anyway he must be a good teacher because I retained most of his teachings in my brain. Have you heard that lessons learned when a person is young stays with him/her?

Also for five years I attended a weekly Spanish class offered by St. Mark Catholic church here at Huntersville and it was at that time that I recalled that my Spanish was not bad at all and that given a chance I can speak the language.

During that class I can connect one word to another word to express a complete thought. “Makadangul sad (trying hard).” Es verdad no me molesta (it is true it doesn't bother me).

Going back to my teaching work here in the Carolinas, there are some Spanish speaking students that are loud so what I did was to talk to them in Spanish and since then I have not encountered any issues in class.

When I heard these groups of students conversing in Spanish I joined them by asking or striking a dialogue. First they were surprised and after a while I was made part of their conversation. 

They  thought at first I am from Columbia or Venezuela. I told them honestly I am the Philippines and to some Filipinos Spanish is a second language or if at all a known language.  “Poquito habla espaniol (speaks little Spanish).” 

My approach works and because I speak in Spanish to these kids, they sit and pay attention. “Entarse y silencio (sit and silence).” I think these kids embrace me. 

I could only surmise that they consider me as their own. Since then I have not encountered any behavior issues. 

Filipinos are fortunate because of the influence of foreign languages like Spanish and English in our society. We have words in Tagalog or Bisaya that are actually Spanish words.

We use this daily. Examples are plato (plate), kutsara (spoon), tinidor (fork), mantel (jacket), calle (alley), maestro (teacher) and so on. It's part of our heritage from Spain.

Among my siblings it was my late brother Ramon whom most of the time used the Spanish language during conversations. “Entonsis, por favor, despues (please later).”

Others like to add Spanish during their talks out of curiosity, habit or to feel intellectual. Whatever is the reason, it's good for us to try learning Spanish or another language starting today.

Recent medical studies showed the positive effects of learning a foreign language on the human brain. 

Studies by York University of Alzheimer's patients “demonstrated that those who were bilingual had a significant delay in the onset of the disease compared to their monolingual counterparts.” 

Other studies concerning the health of monolingual and bilingual patients' brains showed that the effects of dementia were less advanced in bilingual patients even though their brains showed more brain damage as a result of the disease.

It is not yet late. Try to learn one foreign language a day and you’ll never know when it can be used. It's better to be prepared than to be caught flat footed. Entonses senor?

(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who worked as a nanny and is now employed as a sub-teacher and a part-time teacher assistant in one of the school systems in the Carolinas.

Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com and at http://www.blogher.com/myprofile/spdennis54. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis.
You can also connect with her through her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/) and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063)