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surebought
Junior Nomad
Posts: 84
Registered: 11-30-2009
Location: Ensenada
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Why can't Americans learn Spanish?
Every street kid in Ensenada can at least make himself understood in English, why can't most of us get past buenos dias? For once, I don't have a
ready answer about a subject. My more synical self thinks it has more to do with it not being so easy to fake your way through language class in high
school in the U.S., as it with Math, English or Physics. With language you know the material or you make a fool out of yourself because of all the
verbal exercises. So that eliminates most males right there. The 17 year old Mexican soldiers with Machine Guns that I hear a lot about on this
board always address me as jefe. Then they ask what I dedicate myself to. They don't ask where I work or what my profession is. They are asking
what I apply myself to. They do this because in Mexico its like Cada Quien con su Ramo. Americans if they are from the empressarial Class are always
juggling 25 different business deals at the same time. In Mexico no one would take you serously if you operated like that. Its too hard here to be
successful because life is a lot more complicated here than in the old country. I think that is the key here. It takes real dedication to learn a
language effectively. But you know there is nothing more valuable than a language skill. It's one thing that you can't go to Walmart and buy and
take home in plastic bag. You can only acquire this value through hard work and dedication. And I suspect that dedication has become a lost art up
in gringolandia. Life is too easy. So I don't know why Americans cannot learn even spanglish(I am spelling it wrong for a reason), but I would like
to know because I find it embarasing sometimes when a Mexican asks me, "How did you guys ever win World War Two.
In a while the smile on my face turned to plaster.
Stick around while the clown who is sick, does the trick of disaster. Neil Young from Mr Soul.
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wessongroup
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21152
Registered: 8-9-2009
Location: Mission Viejo
Member Is Offline
Mood: Suicide Hot line ... please hold
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Just plain luck and a lot of folks that just "went over the top" so to speak...
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vandenberg
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5118
Registered: 6-21-2005
Location: Nopolo
Member Is Offline
Mood: mellow
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Sure glad you joined the forum.
And to think that all these years we have been missing out on your wisdom. 
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Don Alley
Super Nomad
Posts: 1997
Registered: 12-4-2003
Location: Loreto
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| Quote: | Originally posted by surebought
...I find it embarasing sometimes when a Mexican asks me, "How did you guys ever win World War Two. |
Well, we practiced before, by beating Spain and Mexico.
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wessongroup
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21152
Registered: 8-9-2009
Location: Mission Viejo
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Mood: Suicide Hot line ... please hold
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yes, things just get better don't they.. no matter what one does
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LancairDriver
Super Nomad
Posts: 1603
Registered: 2-22-2008
Location: On the Road
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| Quote: | Originally posted by vandenberg
Sure glad you joined the forum.
And to think that all these years we have been missing out on your wisdom. |
Predictable response from one who needs it the most. At least seems to recognize it.
IT IS refreshing to have new input with something besides sarcasm and cynicism. Your posts have been informative surebought.
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Skeet/Loreto
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4709
Registered: 9-2-2003
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Surebought:
Americans do learn Spanish!
It just looks as if you have been contained in the Border area where people around you do not care or want to learn Spanish.
Now here is a Lesson:
In my humble opnion the best place to learn Spanish is before you go to Mesico, Go to work in the fields of the Central valley or somewhere around
Mexicanos. Learn their Spanish, SLANG, that is.
Take a couple of Classes in beginners Spanosh then head to Baja.
Now when you get there you will find that the folks in the Mountains speak a different way than folks on the Waters Edge.
They will not understand a word of "Castillo Spanish" so you have to Practice with them, getting their particular way of saying a certain word or
Phrase!
You must also remember that a great number of the older Mexicanos did not get over a 2nd grade Education.
Take it easy and don't worry about the other folks they can take care of themselves with out you jumping all over them for not doing what you think is
Right!!
Skeet
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BajaGringo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3922
Registered: 8-24-2006
Location: La Chorera
Member Is Offline
Mood: Let's have a BBQ!
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They can learn Spanish. Most gringos down here probably want to but they seem stop once they learn how to spell Pacifico...
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wessongroup
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21152
Registered: 8-9-2009
Location: Mission Viejo
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Mood: Suicide Hot line ... please hold
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On point Skeet
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arrowhead
Banned
Posts: 912
Registered: 5-5-2009
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by surebought
The 17 year old Mexican soldiers with Machine Guns that I hear a lot about on this board always address me as jefe. Then they ask what I dedicate
myself to. They don't ask where I work or what my profession is....
, but I would like to know because I find it embarrassing sometimes when a Mexican asks me, "How did you guys ever win World War Two.
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Well, let me embarrass you even more. You are misunderstanding Spanish. The common question you are asked by the soldiers is, "y a que te dedicas?"
It is how you ask, "What do you do for a living?" in Spanish. They are not asking you to what you dedicated your life. And the next time a Mexican
asks you how we ever won WWII you should ask them how the Mexican Space Program is coming along, or when they think they will have a particle collider
for sub-atomic research.
Kindly do me a favor, and never apologize to a Mexican for the United States again. Mexico is already full of America-hating Americans. It is how they
rationalize their life's failures while they wait for their liver to bust from alcoholism or to cough up their lungs from the 3 daily packs of
cigarettes they smoke.
Now I'll turn this over to BajaGabacho to tell me I don't know WTF "y a que te dedicas?" means.
No soy por ni contra apatía.
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BajaGringo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3922
Registered: 8-24-2006
Location: La Chorera
Member Is Offline
Mood: Let's have a BBQ!
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Nancy, Nancy, Nancy...
You are such a pleasant one in the morning, aren't you?
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by arrowhead
Kindly do me a favor, and never apologize to a Mexican for the United States again. Mexico is already full of America-hating Americans.
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I whole-heartedly second that.
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monoloco
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6667
Registered: 7-13-2009
Location: Pescadero BCS
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I think that the reason that most Americans aren't more fluent in Spanish is because they tend to cluster with their own kind and avoid unnecessary
contact with the locals. It is unfortunate.
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by monoloco
I think that the reason that most Americans aren't more fluent in Spanish is because they tend to cluster with their own kind and avoid unnecessary
contact with the locals. It is unfortunate. |
Very true.
Another reason might be that it's much more difficult for older folks, most of the expats here, to sponge up a new language as the youngsters can and
do. We don't change as readily as we did fifty years ago.
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ELINVESTIG8R
Select Nomad
Posts: 15882
Registered: 11-20-2007
Location: Southern California
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | | Originally posted by surebought...I find it embarasing sometimes when a Mexican asks me, "How did you guys ever win World War Two.
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When they ask you that you tell them "Porque Los Estados Unidos De América es un país Chingón y saben como hacer guerra cuando es necesario de
hacerlo. Say it with pride too.
P.S. I am a Gabacho who lived in Mexico from the age of five years old until I was sixteen years old. It was almost total immersion. I had to speak it
to survive.
[Edited on 12-15-2009 by ELINVESTI8]
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oldlady
Banned
Posts: 1714
Registered: 10-31-2005
Location: BCS
Member Is Offline
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I know very nice and intelligent Mexican people in the US who've been there 20 years. They, like thousands of others, speak little or no English,
which is why everything is printed in multiple languauges. We are all motivated to learn another language if we see it is to our best interest to do
so. As the man said, everyone knows "cerveza". For some, especially auditory learners, it is easier to learn a new language than for others.
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BajaGringo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3922
Registered: 8-24-2006
Location: La Chorera
Member Is Offline
Mood: Let's have a BBQ!
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Sure you can Dennis - I think too many have just decided that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Motivation obviously plays a major role...
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MrBillM
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21656
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Out and About
Member Is Offline
Mood: It's a Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Day
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Winning the War
The next time a Mexican asks "How did you Americans" win WWII ?
Just say that those "Germans" and "Japanese" were tough, but If we'd been fighting Mexico, it would have been over in a few weeks. Or days.
As far as this Language "Nonsense" goes, SO WHAT ? I'm not in Mexico to do missionary work. I'm there for MY benefit and I can
communicate at whatever level necessary for MY concerns.
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BajaGringo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3922
Registered: 8-24-2006
Location: La Chorera
Member Is Offline
Mood: Let's have a BBQ!
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There is no need to apologize for the good ol' USA. No country is perfect but there is a lot of history there to be proud of and why I voluntarily
served in the armed services.
However sometimes I do feel compelled to apologize for some of the marooons who come from the same country where I was born.
There is a very big difference...
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MitchMan
Super Nomad
Posts: 1856
Registered: 3-9-2009
Member Is Offline
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Mr Bill, You've just defined the "ugly American".
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