goop

When I talk with my Spanish friends and they help me translate what I am saying, I often feel like their translation strips my statement of all emotion. Sometimes I think that maybe I use too many idioms in my native tongue and so the translation lacks for me. How do Spanish speakers show emotion? Are there idioms that reflect nervousness or heartbreak in Spanish? If so, what region of the Latin speaking world would they specifically be understood?

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It is better to prevent something bad from happening rather than having to deal with the problem and all of its consequences.

I agree especially with the posts that mention the person's past. To me that is where the emotional weight is for a good understanding of the phrase. It is one thing to be defensive, but when it is done out of repeated abuses in the past it takes on a different light. I have a really good friend that had bad experiences with one certain culture when he first came to the USA. It is very hard for him to separate his past from how he interacts with them today even though he is now socially considered their equal. I often literally think that he "has a chip on his shoulder" when he makes negative generalizations about them and he has no evidence for what he accuses them of.

I personally would not want to but I do not mind if someone else wants to. To me, if someone has the time and the desire then it is a good ambition. I do not hinder myself in anything and I do not begrudge other people either. If I was in a class and each of us only new one language, I would be tempted to learn a lot of languages all at once. The human desire to communicate is strong and speaking to someone in their native tongue is very powerful and heart touching. :grin:

When I began learning Spanish, I used music. I am Mexican and have grandparents that speak Spanish but they prefer English so unfortunately I could not practice with them. There is a huge Spanish speaking community in California but I have found that if they speak any amount of English that they prefer to practice their English. Many people suggested telenovelas but I just do not like the violence or immoral story lines so I found listening to music very helpful. I also found a friend that is very patient and willing to speak nothing but Spanish even if it becomes difficult to communicate. I am learning Chinese and our method is to speak while doing something complicated. The teacher believes that when different parts of the brain are activated while speaking, we retain it better. My Chinese teacher does not want us to learn by rote memorization because they say it fossilizes in our thought pattern and it makes it harder to access. One exercise would be trying to juggle while counting in the language that is being learned or hitting a balloon in the air and not letting it hit the floor while saying different words.

Hello! I am really excited to be a part of this community. I speak Spanish and English fluently. I am currently learning Mandarin Chinese and am really enjoying the writing as well. I have studied French but since it has been a couple of years since I have been to France, I am afraid to even think about how much I have forgotten. My dream is to speak one of the indigenous languages of Mexico.