One of the issues I was warned about before I arrived here in Spain was that my level of English will most likely deteriorate during my time here, especially if I were to live with native speakers and use Spanish more everyday than English. I laughed this off thinking ‘nah that’ll never happen to me, i’ll stay fluent in both languages, easy peasy’… However, I now stand corrected.
This past week has seen a group of English school children from Manchester arrive for a cultural exchange to our school here in Panxón. The main reason for the exchange is so that the English kids can practice Spanish while the Spanish kids practice English, yet what seems to have happened is that the British kids have realised I’m a native English speaker, and so gravitated to me and only speak English, asking me to translate almost everything for them. While at first I rather liked the opportunity to speak English normally as I would at home, without having to speak slower or easier English as I do when I chat with my friends from overseas, I’ve come to realise two things- firstly that it’s now impossible for me to grumble under my breath in colourful language as the English kids will understand it all, and secondly that my level of English has actually deteriorated more than I ever expected.
A friend of mine here has been telling me for some time now that I’m losing my English bit by bit, and coined the phrase ‘sh*t my Linglish’ for use when either of us makes a mistake when talking (she isn’t a native English speaker, yet seems to be more fluent than I am). Until now I haven’t believed her when she said I was losing the plot. I always joking told myself that ‘no mate. it’s her, she’s the one losing the plot, you’re doing great!’ It is now time to apologise for doubting her. I shall not admit to being wrong, as she would love that, but I’ll admit that I wasn’t right…
It hit me today when talking to one of the English parents who came over with the Manchester contingent. He asked me about where I live here in Spain and what there is to see and do around Vigo, and for the life of me I couldn’t remember the word for octopus (pulpo in Spanish). I ended up asking one of the 11 year old Spanish children how to say pulpo in English as I couldn’t remember, to which she looked at me like I was drunk and said ‘octopus, are you stupid?’
This is not the first time this has happened, it is one of the more recent slip ups i’ve had, yet something tells me it shall not be the last…
So a warning to you all out there in a foreign land whether teaching, studying or just vacationing on the beach like my friend in Mallorca, (claims to be studying though) be sure to practice your mother tongue too, or even children less than half your age will get to laugh at you when you have to ask them simple things in your own native language that they’ve only been learning for 3 years.
And a final note to my friend who first told me about my deteriorating Linglish- as much as it pains me to admit it- you were right.
The Rain in Spain... 
Reblogged this on msamba.
Boy, you can’t English good no mo’…