Practice your spanish fluency

[Hector Valdez]

I thought it might be fun to have a "spanish optional" thread where people can practice their fluency in both english and spanish, if they so wished. Of course, the main topic of the thread would be spanish language and culture, but we needn't limit ourselves! Go ahead, talk about anything! Spanish optional!

Here's the result of myself trying my hand at translating the first paragraph from Mario y el Mago into english:

¡He aquí el sanatorio "Einfried"!, blanco y rectilíneo, con su alargado edificio central y su pabellón lateral, en medio del espacioso jardín, agradablemente provisto de glorietas, pérgolas y pequeños cenadores de corteza; al fondo, tras sus tejados de pizarra, se elevan hasta el cielo las montañas, gigantescas, ligeramente resquebrajadas, cubiertas del verdor de los abetos.

Here was the Einfried hospital, a white block, with its large base and side pavilion in the middle of a spacious garden, easily accommodating morning glories, lilies, and tiny mexican heather; In the distance, beyond the roof tiles of Pizarra climbed giant, jagged mountains, covered with the glorious spring.

(By the way, if there is a moderation problem concerning spanish messages, I'd be happy to offer up my services as resident translator, authenticating what is actually said inside spanish text. We could limit spanish to this thread only, as well.)

[Sweetdeath]

If they want to practice, they can go to any place in America. I'm afraid English will be second language here soon. :<

[Hector Valdez]

But then why not here, eh? :3

[Sweetdeath]

I'm sure it would be fun for others, but I personally have no interest in that language. I suppose too many bad experiences; needing directions from.bus drivers who cant speak English in nyc.

[Hector Valdez]

I've never been to new york, but I hear the spanish they speak up their is waay different from the spanish we speak down here. <_<

[Sweetdeath]

I've never been to new york, but I hear the spanish they speak up their is waay different from the spanish we speak down here. <_<

Where are you?

[Hector Valdez]

El huisachal, Mexico. Why?  ???

[Sweetdeath]

El huisachal, Mexico. Why?  ???

Oooh, nice. Well,Spanish in Mexico is A+

But I like English as the main language in America. I dont care if people speak Spanish, Russian, German, Greek. As long as their English is okay, especially is they are going to be a bus driver. X_x...

[Hector Valdez]

You needn't worry about that, darling. English is the de facto international language of the world, and while many people don't speak it, more people do speak than any other language in the world(excepting chinese, though I should mention that "chinese" is actually hundreds of related languages that are spoken primarily in a single country and a few islands in east asia, and has the advantage of numbers due solely to the excessively large population in china. Furthermore, secondary english instruction is mandatory in China, and more countries have english instructors than any other language.)

[ThinkAnarchy]

If they want to practice, they can go to any place in America. I'm afraid English will be second language here soon. :<

Please don't start with that.  I doubt the official language will be replaced until we are required to speak Mandarin because China conquered us. There are many countries with two official languages, and seeing as how we border a Spanish speaking country, I don't see why Spanish shouldn't be a second language in this country. Granted I can't speak it, but I wish I could. And it does annoy me when Mexican's blatantly refuse to learn English, but that just makes me want to learn Spanish even more. That way when I'm on an elevator and people are speaking Spanish, I can actually determine if they are speaking ill of me and/or/not at all my wife.

[DeterminedJuliet]

Canada has two official languages and we do okay here. Lots of places have lots of different official languages. Doesn't Switzerland have four? The more the merrier, I say.

[Ali]

Canada has two official languages and we do okay here. Lots of places have lots of different official languages. Doesn't Switzerland have four? The more the merrier, I say.

Agreed.  English isn't even the official language of the US (because we don't have an official language).  I'd be happy if we made English and Spanish our two official languages.  Most things here in Denver are in English and Spanish anyway.

Having said that, my Spanish is waaaay rusty.  My dad rarely spoke it at home because my mom doesn't speak Spanish, and the school that I went to in OH didn't even offer Spanish (we had German and French).  My brother, on the other hand, was 12 when we moved to Denver (I was 17 and almost out of High School) so he took 6 years of Spanish, plus he has worked almost exclusively in restaurants.  Most of the kitchen staff in most CO restaurants are Hispanic, so he had ample opportunity to have real conversations and develop real friendships with Spanish speakers and practice his Spanish, and he is fluent.  I'm jealous.  

I'm actually thinking about taking a class in Spanish or doing Rosetta Stone.  One of my clients is opening locations in Mexico, and so far it has been a bit of a struggle to work with my peers in our Mexico office, although their English is certainly better than my Spanish.  I would love to be able to speak Spanish with them, and with my client's Mexico team.  At this point I am just trying to see if I can get my company to pay for it.  

[Beachdragon]

Io Volgio parlare in Italiano.