spaniards

Obviously, one of the main reasons I came to Madrid was to meet Spaniards. And as much as I love hanging out with the other Americans in my program, there's a social satisfaction that they just can't fulfill. I really haven't met that many Spanish people yet (although I'll hopefully be living with some soon...), but earlier this week a whole throng of Spaniards arrived in our dorm building from all over the country. They're here only for five days, taking all-day intensive English language classes. 

Now that we're all living amongst each other and eat together, it's been much easier to mingle. A lot of them speak English pretty decently, and then others speak about as well as I speak Spanish, i.e. not terrible and not great. I try and talk to them as much as possible, and most of our conversations revolve around language. Despite learning different languages, we all have the same apprehensions. One that they voiced was that they believe they sound rude when trying to speak in English, since Spanish can be a brusque language. I am always worrying about the same exact thing. At a bar in America, it would be normal to hear, "Could you please bring me a beer?" But to order a drink here, it's just, "Me da una caña," which literally translates to, "give me a beer." It seems curt, but that's all part of the cultural experience. 

The language conversation with my new amigos here also shows me how ridiculous it is that bilingualism isn't more valued in America. The room, board, and English lessons for the students here are entirely paid for by the government. A lot of students also spend time abroad to learn English--either in London or New York--in an immersive setting, also paid for by the government. Back in the states, we get a couple of years of foreign language in high school, which is truthfully a joke for most students. Language needs to set in at a young age to eventually attain fluency, and after the brain is fully developed it is all but impossible to sound like a native speaker. Even in states like Kansas where learning a second language may not seem useful, it can only be beneficial. Bilingualism creates a more diverse set of mental abilities and correlates with higher intelligence. Plus, knowing a second language may allow greater empathy towards those who are trying to learn your language, and I think in America this is especially important. 

Speaking of, I start my own intensive language classes in six hours, so now I need sleep. Chao.