Oh, I didn't have to plan doing my Spanish homework tonight or any night for the next 3 months.
Ya!
We are suspending our lessons for 2 reasons. Our teacher will be gone until December and we will be in Los Estados Unidos de America through November.
Here is a good example of the extreme difference in English and Spanish pronunciation. Our teacher's name is Virginia, pronounced in Spanish "beer-hee-KNEE -a." Quit a difference.
We are planning to step it up in January by either getting into an immersion school or taking 3 2 hours classes a week at the local school. Either way, we want to accelerate the learning.
So you would think Spanish is gone from our minds.
No.
At breakfast, Olga converses with me in Espanol for 45 minutes. What a gift! Not many people have the patience's to talk to a rank amateur in Spanish but she did. Quite the gift. Thank you Olga.
A quick aside on Olga. We are going to take Tango lessons with her. This should be a real hoot because she is so much fun plus the dancing is amazing anyway. This will also introduce us to many Panamanians. Something we are looking forward to.
Back to Espanol.
As Yella and I are driving around, we mention words or say a little in Spanish or discuss a point of grammar, etc. It is still very much on our minds.
I think we will progress with Spanish without classes...I hope anyway.
Once, I didn't play the guitar for a year. When I picked it up to play once again, I was actually better. I had been playing the guitar in my imagination throughout the year, resulting in some skill improvement.
I am not suggesting that we learn by not studying or practicing. But, thinking about it helps.
I went on a hike this afternoon for the first time in 6 weeks. My Planter Fasciitis was so bad I had to quit running and hiking. Bummer! So going on this hike was a big deal.
So what do I do on the hike?
I pull out my Spanish Pimsler tapes and do a lesson.
I guess I'm possessed or something.
I just can't get over how big a deal it is to learn a language. Who would have thought?
4 comments:
Hi Tom,
your blogs of late have been particularly inspiring. the true awesomeness of what can happen in retirement.
and I can Totally relate about the guitar playing being much better after giving it up for a year from my having given up masturbation, once, for 6 months.
Love,
Darshan
Are you gonna be in CO and when?
Dan, I will be in CO the last 2 weeks of November.
And to Darshan, I didn't know you could play the one string guitar!
Hope to see you then!
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