I've decided to learn Portuguese. Brazilian Portuguese to be precise. Why? Because someone I love is from Brazil and I want to learn to speak to her in her native language.
When I was in high school, I took French. Back then, it was pretty basic. We had to take either French, Spanish, or German. Well, German seemed too difficult at the time, so I chose French because my hometown, Syracuse N.Y., is close to the Canadian border...specifically Quebec. I thought, hmmm I'll take French because then I can go to Montreal and CONVERSE. Well, after 3 years of French, I went to Montreal and they spoke so fast, I could barely understand them! That's the thing when you learn a new language, you have to INSIST that the people you are speaking with SLOW DOWN. My girlfriend even admits she speaks too fast. So I have my work cut out for me.
So far, it's going pretty well. I bought a Portuguese language learning course online and I've been practicing. So far I know the basics like:
Hello (Ola) Thanks (Obrigado), I love you (Eu te amo), I miss you (Eu sinto sua falta) mother (madre), and father (padre)
I know, pretty pathetic. But at least I'm learning more everyday. I am committed to doing this, so I'll let you know periodically how I'm doing. Have you ever learned a second language? I'm interested in your experience. Feel free to share in the comments section below.
Obrigado por ler esta (thanks for reading this)
Will Johnson
[photo by crazytales562/@flickr.com]
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ChristinaJo - I love languages! They are my gift. I studied French through college and spent a school year in Paris, working in a deli (charcuterie), going to the Sorbonne, and living in a big-by-Paris-standards apartment. I also speak some Spanish, which is surprising since I've never been to a country where the language is Spanish. And I can still diagram a sentence in English! Yikes! Try to translate your thoughts and words into Portuguese as you go through your day. I wish you the best with this! It's a beautiful language.