Should I Learn Spanish?

fci

As I continue to grow I find I need more subs. I find as I look for subs I run accross more spanish speaking subs. Trust me I am not complaining, they work very very hard and work long hours. Have any of you taken the time to learn spanish?

HUDSONVALLEYEXT

I have been thinking about learning spanish to for a while now. I keep seeing more and more spanish only speaking guys entering trades around here. Sorry to say buy I think all of us are gonna need to know it they keep coming....

King of Crown

I can speak enough to talk, I learned my Spanish in school and on a church mission. It is a big help out here, I dont know what it would be like there. The best thing about it is prettending that I dont understand, and then listen to what they say to each-other about me. It is really surprising how much respect they have for other workers, even if they think you cant understand. And when they know that you can speak it, they respect you that much more.

I think that comunication is one of the most important things in the world, so I think that it would be benificial, though not necessary.

Also, they say learning a language is one of the few things that you can do to increase you I.Q.

__________________
Real nice guys

Teetorbilt

We're all learning Spanish! It's beginning to be the 'must know' language. More fun is that you need to know different dialects. Mexican, Peruvian, Ecudorian, et al. have different local influances from the Aztec, Mayan cultures. My Dad did well here.

I have had 4 yrs. of French + 1 yr each of Latin, Spanish and Greek. Didn't get me anywhere. I still have trouble with all of them. I seriously believe that certain acumens skip a generation. My daughter (25) is a serious linguist. Speaks all of the 'romance languages' + German, Russian and Bulgarian fluantly.

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

King of Crown

Oh yeah, another thing thats cool about learning spanish, or any of those latin-based languages, is that you actually learn more about English. Its really cool. Such as the days of the week.

Esposa=wife Esposas=handcuffs
no joke

__________________
Real nice guys

Teetorbilt

The boat that I spent my first 10 yrs. on was named Zingara. That's Basque. Then we can throw in the Portugese spin on the same language.

Thinking about it, the Spanish language just might be more screwed up than the English language. I'm beginning to feel better.

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

fci

My best helper is Victor who is from from Elsalvador. He works harder than anyone I've ever met and never complains. If I ask him to hand dig a footer for a 12' x24' addition, he will smile the whole time. No smoke breaks, never drunk and never a minute late. Unfortunetly I don't speak spanish and that is what bothers me most. We do okay at communication.

tkle

Better learn Spanish, cause your non complaining workers will soon become your demanding bosses.

K2

Si!

It's kind of getting forced on us for some reason. As far as world wide communication it is probably the best 2nd language for us.

I know quite a bit of Spanish, maybe on the level of a 4 year old. . I notice that many who claim to be "Spanish Speaking", speak much worse than me.

The other day I had a little confrontation with some young guys with their pants down to their knees. They made a few comments to each other in Spanish and when I changed to Spanish they were lost and just walked away.

Also I can recognize regional accents.

I found the best learning tool for me was to watch and get hooked on a couple of TV Novelas, (soap operas). I watched them with the closed captioning on because reading Spanish is much easier. Some words are spellled exactly the same but pronounced much differently. Also the TV Novela will give you some insite into the different cultures and regional dialects, generally of the hildago or higher class but interesting
nonetheless.

Chris G

You can also change the language settings onyour computer so all of the menus read a different language. Forces you to learn how to read in order to operate your computer.

K2

Piensa bien!!

picks

normally i would say u come to the counry, u speak the language.
but i see more builders learning and speaking spanish..

everything i see and read is in english and spanish..
what happened to learning english?

__________________

Tscarborough

Spanglish has been predicted to the language of the future since the sixties, at least. I speak work-functional, fishing, and general vacation spanish, but I make an effort to learn more every day.

cssconstruct

I definitely have tried to improve mine, while at the same time many of the Spanish speaking workers are trying to learn English. None of the stuff that they teach you in school is much help on the jobsite.

__________________
www.cssconstructionllc.com

Tscarborough

The persons from Mexico who try to learn english are the ones who have taught me spanish. The ones who make no effort, I reply with a blank face. I refuse to speak spanish because I have to, but enjoy speaking and learning it otherwise.

K2

Yo tambien or Jo tambien, ( in Puerto Rico).

picks

a qui a qui !!

__________________

Tscarborough

I should add, however, that I learned all of my fishing spanish and vacation spanish in Mexico because I HAD to. I was in Mexico, and would not presume to assume that anyone spoke english.

K2

I need to learn some good swear words. My favorite English swear words don't translate well.

King of Crown

Spanish is funny, because allot of their "Bad words" are only bad when used certain ways. My favorite that I translate into English is "Big Goat."

__________________
Real nice guys