Feliz Día Nacional del Completo

Today is apparently Chile's national completo (their version of hot dogs) day. I guess there really is day for everyone/thing in this country.

More musings on the language thing

I apologize if this is not the most interesting thing to read, but I feel like sharing more of my thoughts about language learning because it's something I've been thinking about a lot lately, as it is pretty much my primary focus right now.

Now last time, I believe I touched briefly upon the idea of language identities (I feel a bit like a professor after typing that out), but I wanted to share a little more about what I mean by that. When I step out of my head for a moment and listen to the voice coming out of my mouth when I speak spanish, I have noticed that it sounds different than my english voice. I realized this was true one day when my host sister commented that when she heard me speak english, I almost sounded like a stranger to her. I thought this was funny, and I asked other people if this happened to them, and most people said that yeah, when they speak a different language, they notice that something changes in their voice. It's like you become a different person for each language that you speak. Alright, I mean, it's not like when I speak spanish I suddenly sound like Speedy Gonzalez (the only spanish speaking pop culture reference I could think of at the top of my head), but I do notice something about my tone that changes slightly. I think it has to do with this idea of flow that I was talking about before. Because the way the languages flow differ between english and spanish, my voice slightly changes when I speak each language. And because I have learned (both languages) mostly by imitation, I suppose it's possible that I have adopted tone and intonation from the people I have been learning from. What's funny, is that sometimes, when I'm speaking spanish, a word will come out of my mouth and I will think, oh my god that sounded EXACTLY like my mom. What's more, is that it was probably a sound I used to (and still do) make fun of. Mom, you probably know what I'm talking about.

This is interesting to me because I actually haven't been learning spanish from my mom; we just can't seem to break the habit of speaking english, it's too weird to change the way you've been speaking to someone your entire life. But something I've noticed, is that my mom speaks english like a Chilena. She has adopted so many sounds and intonations that I would classify as typical Chilean, and uses them when she speaks english. This does make her unique, because most people don't speak english like Chileans. And I'm not talking about accents here, but more tone of voice, the expressive way she says certain words. I have spent the majority of my life making fun of the way my mom speaks english (come on, Justin, you know you have to). Of course it mostly comes from love, and sometimes she legitimately says really funny things (ex: quiet as a moose), but now, as I am going through the process of learning a language and finding myself making mistakes (a lot of them funny) all the time, I can't help but feel a little guilty. But more than the bit of guilt I feel, I feel that I now have a better understanding of why she speaks the way she does. Many times have I heard people say things in a certain way that has sounded exactly like something my mom would say. Except I realized that they were speaking spanish, her first language of course. Now this is not to say that my mom hasn't adopted the flow of english, of course her english is excellent, but I just mean that sometimes, she speaks it like it's spanish. It's part of what makes her the wonderful and unique woman that she is.

Sometimes, when I'm tired, I speak spanish as if I'm speaking english. To me, that happens when I'm feeling kind of lazy, because in my mind's ear, the sounds of english are lazier, heavier. Spanish (or maybe it has to do some with chilean culture) is more expressive in certain ways, people are a lot more dramatic. Spanish requires your tongue to be a bit more flexible (that rolling of the r) and lighter.

I'd really like to learn a third language mainly just to explore the sounds and compare the differences, but I'm not sure if my brain could handle it. I think I would get confused all the time.

Thoughts on learning a new language

I know I haven't written about this in a while, but obviously, as I am still in Chile, I have been continuing my quest to learn Spanish. I thought I would share some of my thoughts on what the process has been like for me.

Learning another language is definitely a process, it's a never ending process full of highs and lows, some proud moments, and definitely even more embarrassing moments. Every day you learn something new, and you never stop learning; there will always be a word out there that you didn't know the meaning of before. I would without a doubt argue that the best way to learn another language is to go to another country and learn it pretty much out of desperation, because you have to if you have any desire to communicate with people from the chosen country. This is not to say that it isn't possible to learn a language by studying it in a classroom setting (although that method of learning has never worked for me personally, but I am, without a doubt, a kinesthetic learner all the way), but there is so much you can't learn just by studying. Languages are complex, unique, full of idiosyncrasies, accents, and all of this varies so much by individual countries, individual regions, groups of people, social class, personal histories, etc. You just can't pick up on all that by learning from one person (native speaker or not), or one book. In my opinion, one of the most important aspects of a language to try to emulate as a learner is the flow. Every language has it's own unique flow, differences in sentence structure, intonation, and so on. And the best way to capture and imitate the flow of a language is to listen. A lot. For me, speaking spanish with the Chilean flow came relatively easy for me early on, because I had been exposed to it throughout my life. It was when I was hanging out with other spanish language learners along with native speakers when I realized how important this flow is. I have met people who speak really good spanish. Textbook spanish. They are always grammatically correct, have a decent vocabulary (these are the things I struggle with the most). But if they are lacking in the ability to flow, native speakers struggle to understand them. And it does not feel good when you are trying to communicate and the native speaker doesn't understand your pronunciation. You can't speak Spanish like you are speaking English. Or vice versa. Just like you can't speak Portuguese as if you are speaking Chinese. Each language has it's unique characteristics. And of course, it is really difficult (though not impossible) to master a second, third, fourth language the way we have mastered our mother tongues. But, I think it's really important to try and pay attention to pronunciation, to intonation, to flow. If you can speak a language comfortably, without nervousness, and with some consciousness of the language's unique flow, that's when people start complementing you on how well you speak. Even if you make mistakes all the time.

And that's kind of the level I'm at right now. I always say that I can trick people into thinking I speak spanish better than I do. The truth is, I still make mistakes all the time, constantly. I mix up tenses, the feminine and masculine, por, para, ser, estar, and many other things. And there are so many times when I just can't find the word I'm looking for in my brain, which can be really frustrating. But one of the biggest steps I have made in making progress was letting go of the fear to speak. I used to get all tense and worry about making mistakes. But now I realize that mistakes are essential in the learning process (life lesson?). So I just let the words flow out of my mouth, trying not to think to much about it. I think that's why almost everyone would say they feel like they speak another language better after a few drinks. Obviously, this is because alcohol helps you to relax. The more I allow myself to relax, the more I feel myself just letting the flow happen, the more confident I feel, and then that's when people begin to compliment me on how well I speak. And let me tell you, it feels great to hear that. I don't think it will ever get old to hear such compliments.

Día del Alumnos

Today we celebrated Día del Alumnos (Student's Day) even though nationally it was on Wednesday. I wish we had a student's day in the states, or at least we did when I was a student. They also celebrate a Kid's Day here, something else that we don't get.

Anyways, it was a fun day! It was only a half day, and the whole day was basically a party. The kids didn't have to wear their uniforms (which was very exciting for them) and the teachers put on a show for them. I was happy to participate, I imitated Miley Cyrus in my lively rendition of Party in the USA, I was in a dance to the Glee version of "Umbrella", (with, of course, umbrellas) and I did a dance to Single Ladies, chipmunk style (gotta keep it appropriate for the kids). Also, a few days ago we got dressed up as zombies and recorded a video of us doing the Thriller dance and today showed that video. The kids seemed to love every minute of the "performance". I think it was very funny for them to see their teachers dancing and being silly. At the end they got to dance in the gym and it was entertaining to watch them interact with one another. I saw some very excited fifth grade boys dancing with some eighth grade girls. It had all the vibes of middle school dances I remember attending, but with a little bit more freedom, a bit less awkward, and a lot more latino music. I kind of failed at taking pictures but here are a few.

It was so so hot in there, my camera got a little sweaty.

My life is: having over 200 kids notice every little thing about me

Today I decided to go to school with straight hair, something I do very rarely. And usually whenever I straighten my hair, I get a reaction out of people, just because it looks different. And I was definitely expecting a reaction from my students due to the following factors: a.) kids in general tend to be very observant b.) Chileans in general (beyond just the kids) tend to be very observant and c.) Chileans have no problem sharing all their observations with you - good or bad. So I was prepared. Even so, I was still thoroughly entertained by what a big deal it was that I had straight hair for a day. Of course the kids gave me their feedback (I think that's a funny word to use in relation to something as trivial as a hairstyle, but it's the best I can think of), and most of it was positive and all of it was honest. Something I really love about my students (and really, most Chilean people that I know) is that they are always so genuine. Some gave me hugs and told me how beautiful I looked, others told me I looked better with straight hair, and then others disagreed with that sentiment. One kid told me I looked sick. When I walked into one class a group of boys made a huge deal, showering me with compliments, carrying my stuff, pulling out the chair for me (all of this was done with quite a bit of shouting, they are kind of a crazy group). Regardless of what they thought, I was laughing almost the entire day as I walked around, inciting these various reactions just because I had changed my hair just a little bit. Sometimes these kids really do make me feel like a rock star. One would think that the excitement of me being here would have died down by now, and for some it has. But then there are always kids showering me with questions, compliments, giving me treats (once a boy pulled a muffin out of his pocket that he had been carrying around especially for me), writing me letters, etc. I don't think it has much to do with me, I'm honestly not that exciting, I think it's just how they are. They are genuinely affectionate, brutally honest, excited, rowdy, loving kids. And I am loving getting to know them. I know I am supposed to be teaching them, but at this point I am realizing, that this is one of these situations where maybe they are teaching me more, and I totally embrace that.

Beautiful Life

I know, I know; I have been terrible at updating lately. I guess I've been busy. I've been busy just straight up enjoying life. I feel like I have had very little to complain about lately, which is wonderful.

Last week, my parents left the south of Chile after hanging out here for two weeks. The last weekend we spent together was perfect. We got luckily with the weather and visiting some amazingly beautiful places. I won't go into too much detail because I feel like it was so long ago, but here are some pictures.

My dad and I in Puerto Montt, a port city south of where I live.

Market in Puerto Montt.

Puerto Montt

The famous church of Puerto Varas, a lovely, although a bit touristy, town very close to Puerto Montt.

I really love this picture I took of my parents in Puerto Varas. They look so happy. We had a really wonderful time together.

Los Altos de Petrohue, another amazing spot here in the south. All of the water used to be lava from the volcano Osorno.

Me in front of Los Altos de Petrohue. Obviously you can't tell from the picture, but the water is so loud.

This picture is dedicated to my grandma, taken in Frutillar. Clearly they planned it carefully so that the volcano would be perfectly framed.

Mist from the splashing water of Los Altos de Petrohue.

Los Altos de Petrohue.

Lago Todos los Santos. This is a view from where we had lunch. This lake is one of the most tranquil lakes I've ever seen. Because it is surrounded by high peaks and hills, it doesn't get much wind.

Close up view of the volcano from Lago Todos los Santos taken from a boat. My dad especially wanted to visit this lake because when he was hitchhiking around Chile in 1978 when he was here as a student, he and his friend stumbled upon this lake and there was absolutely nothing there. He said he thought it to be the most beautiful lake he had ever seen. They loved it so much that they bathed in it and slept on the beach under the stars just in sleeping bags. Obviously it has changed since then, but it is still so peaceful and not overly touristy.

This is the view of the volcano at sunset time from the cabaña we stayed at in Frutillar.

I wouldn't necessarily say that teaching has gotten easier, but I have had a major attitude adjustment lately, which has seemed to help a lot. I just decided to accept that there are things I can't change, and things I won't be able to accomplish, so there is no point in letting these things bother me. And now that I know the kids and each individual class better, it is easier to cater lessons to fit the needs of the specific groups. Sometimes, if the kids are feeling a lesson, I just allow them to chat with me. They tend to ask lots of great questions. Although we do speak in spanish probably more than I should, at least they are learning a lot of the US, it's geography and culture, and I also tell them what I know about other English speaking countries. I figured, maybe there is only so much I can do as far as teaching English is concerned, especially considering I am here such a short time and I don't see the groups often enough. But, I can definitely share my culture with them, that way they are still learning.

I've been teaching slang to my eighth graders and they absolutely love it. They are able to recognize slang from popular songs that they like which is great. Today I had a little English session with my host sisters, also working on slang, and it went well. I think slang is just a lot more fun for kids to learn, because they know that's how real native speakers talk, so they are more interested in learning.

This past weekend was nice, albeit it full of English speaking. I spent one night in Temuco with a friend, then the next night in Rio Bueno staying with two friends at their house. Then today to celebrate Mother's Day, with my family, we went out to eat (for the first time) and had a delicious meal. It was a lovely meal and I feel like I was being very chatty. I am noticing that my confidence in my ability to speak spanish has kind of shot up lately. The words are starting to flow much more easily out of my mouth with a lot less effort. It's definitely a good feeling and it motivates me to study even more when I feel like I am making progress.

I am already half way done with the program, which is crazy. Time has been absolutely flying by. I know it will be done before I know it, so I feel like lately I've been making more of an effort to enjoy every moment.