How to overcome a language barrier at work? (employees, degree, wages)
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I know. I have to learn Spanish living here, but damn, its really hard. Why didn't we learn another language in elementary school in the U.S.? By junior high, its too late....in retirement, its REALLY too late.
I started Spanish in 7th grade and am fluent today. No, it's not hard.
My point was to the quote I quoted. "By junior high it's too late."
Not necessarily. My native tongue is Spanish. I learned English when i was 6-7. I learned French and Portuguese during high school and college. (although French and Portuguese are romance languages and are somewhat interchangeable)
IF you learn a 2nd language during a young age your brain is more prone to be able to learn more languages in the future.
Not necessarily. My native tongue is Spanish. I learned English when i was 6-7. I learned French and Portuguese during high school and college. (although French and Portuguese are romance languages and are somewhat interchangeable)
IF you learn a 2nd language during a young age your brain is more prone to be able to learn more languages in the future.
yes. The brain is able to absorb language far better at a younger age. My point was, don't just stop or say "I can't do it" because you're 12-13 or assume your kids won't be able to learn another lanuage at that age. That would be ridiculous.
You can learn languages at an older age, but you learn differently. The brain works differently, and no, you will not learn was well as a child does. But you can learn to some extent.
My priest (born in Italy, in the US since his 20s, which is when he learned English) recently took on learning some Portuguese in order to offer a service to the Brazilian immigrant community in our area. He is not fluent and never will be, but he learned enough Portuguese to perform the communion service in their language. He is 74 years old. He has a Brazilian parishioner translate his sermon, though.
There are a LOT of Spanish speakers in my area, and I can tell you from experience, learning Spanish numbers on Sesame Street is NOT going to help you understand what they are saying.
It's not like watching a Spanish soap opera or game show on Univision where they enunciate each word clearly; they speak crazy fast with absolutely no break between words, so you don't even know where one word ends and the next begins. And I know Spanish numbers and basic vocabulary, and can do a passable job reading a Spanish newspaper.
You must live in an area with a large number of Caribbean Spanish Speakers, from places like Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico? They are THE WORST when it comes to trying to understand their spoken Spanish. A lot of native Spanish speakers from other parts of Latin America can't even understand them.
It also doesn't help those most of the low wage, Spanish speaking immigrants who come over to the US aren't very educated anyway, which also affects their speech and how well others can understand them.
You must live in an area with a large number of Caribbean Spanish Speakers, from places like Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico? They are THE WORST when it comes to trying to understand their spoken Spanish. A lot of native Spanish speakers from other parts of Latin America can't even understand them.
It also doesn't help those most of the low wage, Spanish speaking immigrants who come over to the US aren't very educated anyway, which also affects their speech and how well others can understand them.
I woud take the opportunity to learn "kitchen Spanglish".
But, that is me.
I am currently learning Portuguese (100+ hours) just for a 3 week vacation to Portugal.
Learning another language also helps strengthen your English vocabulary.
Last edited by davebarnes; 05-23-2017 at 12:20 PM..
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