A New Perspective

As native English speakers, we often forget what we must sound like to our non-native students. Elsie and I can certainly relate to what hearing strange and foreign languages sounds like; even after over a decade of studying Spanish, I often feel like my students are speaking some crazed and mysterious language to me during class. The daily moments of misinterpretation and miscommunication have, for myself at least, become quite entertaining. Living in a foreign country, you quickly learn to say phrases such as 'Can you repeat, please?' and 'Sorry, I don't understand.' At first, many of my students were overjoyed that I could speak (somewhat broken) Spanish with them. This excitement soon turned into confusion as to why I couldn't understand every word they shouted and mumbled in my direction. Now, after one month at Lope de Vega, the students have become the teachers. Before I explain new vocabulary words in English, I always preface with the question 'And how do you say this in Spanish?' Students have taken to pointing out vocab and dichos to me on a daily basis. For example, in a conversation I had with a student about soccer, I learned the words chanda, jersey, and a detailed description of the difference between a camisa and a camiseta.

But what exactly do Elsie and I sound like to those around us with little if no English experience?

Here is a short film by Brian Fairbairn, giving us a new perspective on what all of us native English speakers must sound like to the rest of the world.

- Robyn