Meeting the Neighbors

I am absolutely convinced that we could not have landed in a better community. We have met the most welcoming group of people.

On night ONE of arriving here, we were invited to a potluck the following week for a local holiday. Starting on day two, the boys were being invited to play with the other kids. Now that we have been here almost a week, we have watched Spain play a World Cup match in someone’s backyard, had many conversations poolside with neighbors, and are planning what to bring to the potluck. One mom even said she is going to request at the school that Colin be placed in her son’s classroom next year.

Some of the neighbors are longtime locals, and others are international immigrants themselves. Many of them speak excellent English, which is both reassuring and humbling. It means we can communicate easily, but it also makes me wish I had prioritized learning another language earlier in life.

It’s true that we had to study a foreign language in high school, but in the United States, native English speakers can survive without ever needing to learn a second language. I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately. When I traveled to Ghana during college, I met elementary-aged students who were already learning their fourth language! I guess it is very human to do the least amount of work necessary. Many of our neighbors have said that they use English for work, especially in jobs that involve international travel.

I appreciate that most people let me begin our conversations in Spanish, and when it starts to get difficult, we switch to English. I continue to work as much Spanish into the conversation as I can. They are so patient and friendly!

One neighbor is in college to become a special education teacher, and she enjoys quizzing me poolside.

“What is this?” (holding up a cucumber)

“Pepino.”

“And these?”

“Fresas.”

“And the pool?”

“Piscina.”

“Muy bien, Maggie.”

Her sister, who was sitting nearby, said, “You’re annoying this lady, leave her alone!”

I understood and replied, “No, I love being quizzed!” I still need to learn how to say, “I am a nerd!”

I only hope I have been this way with others. I think I have. I remember one semester in college when I ate lunch with a student who mostly spoke Mandarin so he could practice English and ask questions about American culture. Later, as a teacher, I always encouraged families to keep speaking their native language at home because their children would learn English at school. There are so many benefits to speaking more than one language, but I was never motivated.

So far, my kids have been having fun learning little Spanish phrases every day. Will is starting to speak with a Spanish accent even while speaking English, because he chit chats so much constantly with the other boys, and repeats everything they say. He is consistently saying, “Buenas noches, buenos dias, gracias Senor Frijole” to me. (Why does he call me Mr. Bean? I do not know, but it’s hilarious). We practice and look up translations for things like “I got my haircut,” but mostly they are comfortable asking their new friends how to say things. Likewise, their friends are getting to learn and practice more English.

The boys were invited to a neighbor’s house to watch a movie, and we assumed it would be in Spanish. Instead, they came home and told us it was in English because their friend’s parents have a rule that every movie he watches this summer has to be in English to help him learn!

It’s been a good reminder that language learning doesn’t have to be solitary.  While we’re trying to learn Spanish, our neighbors seem happy to practice English. Their kindness has made this huge move feel a lot less intimidating.