Language

Catalan – the film

~ Kate Wilson ~ 2 Comments

Ok so here we go again!
It was Catalan week and I managed to do the video on Sunday.
Just in time.
And now it is HERE  on YouTube where you can see me on the beach fumbling around in Catalan while Bonnie cavorts behind me – amongst other things!
She is the star of the film and it is worth watching just for the beautiful light by the sea.

If anything this attempt is worse than the first one but I have to let you see it as I promised I would!
I am not being falsely modest – it really is much worse than I am capable of but I get terribly nervous in front of the camera.
I am writing this on Monday/Tuesday which means I am now back in Castellano. All this changing about is making me feel like this

Crazier and crazier. So please be patient. Soon I hope this blog – and life – will soon return to normal.
Whatever that means.

My Language Challenge

~ Kate Wilson ~ 3 Comments

This week I was concentrating on Spanish – Castellano.
I can’t say I have succeeded in doing a total immersion as I have been speaking in English to friends and family and also was unable to resist the temptation to continue reading Pride and Prejudice on my phone.  But as the week went by I was able to speak a bit more confidently and also learnt some new words.   I spoke to loads of people on the street and even went into an estate agent and managed to explain our complicated housing situation.   Reading the newspaper was easier than before and I also watched a film in Castellano with no subtitles – El Viaje de Carol.

The Five Goals
Alongside the challenges that I feel are nipping at my heels at the moment (the dog fights, the ongoing search for a good vet,  my still painful fingers, feelings of uselessness because I am not working, driving the van by myself) I also set myself some goals for the week and here are the results

1. I gave acupuncture sessions speaking only Castellano
2. I had a lesson in Photoshop for almost two hours only using Castellano. We made the new header for the blog!
3. I took the van to be cleaned
4. I failed to do the intercambio – I have someone who will do it with me but somehow we didn’t find a day to meet. I also didn’t find a teacher for private lessons although I went and asked about it in one of the language schools in Granollers.
And the biggest challenge
5. Finally today I made the video of myself speaking Castellano and put it on YouTube.
HERE is the link if you would like to see it.  I know there are lots of mistakes and I sound very clipped and Scottish but the process of preparation and filming was very useful and I think I will make another in Catalan next week.   I absolutely hate myself on film so this last challenge was definitely the hardest and took me furthest out of my comfort zone.
Hopefully it will get easier as I do it more often.
Thanks to Pep for helping with the language, encouraging me to relax and for doing the filming.

Subtle language decisions that you can’t avoid in Catalonia

~ Kate Wilson ~ Leave a comment

My week of Castellano

It was quiet in the park today as so many people go away on a public holiday.
Today of course is May Day!  Or  El Dia del Trabajadors.
But Bonnie and I did meet a couple with two dogs, one a very lame German Shepherd and the other an unidentifiable tiddly thing. Ages – 12 and 14.
Of course I asked them which vet they use and we had a good conversation about dogs and vets and getting older.  They go to the Lauro 24 hour Vet Hospital where I took Bonnie a few months ago.

But I had to have this conversation in Spanish although they were obviously people who would normally speak Catalan and it was interesting how embarrassed I felt.  As if I was being  rude or disrespectful and I was tempted to explain my language challenge but really, Kate, not necessary! They won’t expect you to speak Catalan anyway.
Just get on with talking!

I’m sure if I had explained it wouldn’t have been clear and they would have switched to Catalan and that would be that.

But I wonder if I am being too rigid in this language challenge – I want to be disciplined but I have to take into account the particular language courtesies here.

Changeover Day

~ Kate Wilson ~ 4 Comments

Today is Monday and so I have switched languages from Catalan to Castellano.
I actually woke up remembering to say Buenos Dias rather than Bon Dia.
So far so good!

It was slow at first. What I have found is that the words get stuck behind a pile of Catalan ones. As if I am looking in my bag for my keys and they have sunk to the bottom so I have to take everything else out first.
So it is painfully slow and sometimes the Catalan word pops out first and then I replace it which makes for very long sentences.
(Potse) quizas (vull) quiero (llegir) leer (una mica) un poco (avants) antes de (sortir) salir!
Get the picture?

But suddenly as midmorning after much stumbling I felt it begin to flow. then it happened in reverse. Because I didn’t trust myself I was saying the Castellano correctly first and then doubting so changing to Catalan.
I think part of speaking another language is learning to relax and trust your own ability to speak without having to test and think about each and every word.

I have spoken before about a web site I have found useful, Fluent in 3 Months
I recently bought his Language Hackers Guide and have started reading it today.  You can get it in English but also in lots of other languages and as part of his philosophy is to use the target language from the very beginning I have it in Spanish and really pleased that I can understand it all, only having to look up a few words. I am reading it out loud so I can get back into the sounds and shapes of the words without having to worry about grammar and vocabulary.

And to follow one of his suggestions, which is to make concrete promises that give you goals to complete in a short time here are my tasks for the week.

1. I will give an acupuncture treatment speaking only Castellano
2. I will have my Photoshop lesson speaking only Castellano
3. I will do at least one intercambio in Castellano
4. I will take the van to be cleaned and speak Castellano (this one is scary)
5. I will make a short video of myself speaking in Castellano (scariest of scary)

Other snippets
Dogs – All peaceful this moment. No fights since Friday. We have a plan of action to try out.
House – This very moment all is peaceful. We moved the furniture around which can shift energy too.
Weather – Is lovely and rainy and cloudy.  Just a little, not too much, but nice and homey.

Thank you all for your support!  It has really helped me in these past months.

A Big Day

~ Kate Wilson ~ 2 Comments

Still haven’t managed to do any formal study but at least I have spoken a lot more in Catalan.

Where normally I might say just a few words, I have been actively trying to stretch out conversations purely for practice.  While not quite grabbing people by the arm in the street like some crazy ancient mariner I am definitely not letting people go until I have had my tuppence-worth of chat.

In the market I went to at least four different stands for the fruit and vegetables. I asked which artichokes were best for cooking ‘a la brasa’, I told another customer how to prepare Kohl rabi and what it could do for your health, I stopped an aquaintance in the street and talked for at least 15 minutes about the need to have a vegetable patch.

Today my partners son arrived – ‘for good’. Well, at least till he is finished with college.
Normally I speak to him in English partly for his education and partly because I can’t bear him to be laughing at me as I stumble along. Our relationship has been rocky over the past two years.
But today was Catalan day so I told him I must speak in Catalan and he actually helped me with words and reminded me when I slipped into English.

And then we all went for supper at the pizza restaurant.
By ‘All’ I mean, my partner, his ex wife, his son and me. This was a first and funnily enough it went well. She is leaving the country very soon and is in that special time before saying goodbye to her old life. I had done my positive affirmations  before going and so somehow it worked out.

I find I am sometimes thinking in Catalan. I wonder how it would be to really switch over like I know some people have done into English?

I also did a whole hour and a half class of Photoshop in Catalan without getting dizzy once.
Two new things at the same time – my brain is getting quite excited!