Something is missing when speaking English as a Second Language

My choice of writing this blog in English instead of in Spanish, my mother tongue, is based on necessity. My English-speaking level has been a weakness I have since I have arrived to the US. Writing in English lets me practice and improve it.

Let me tell you a little story that my friends love to hear, and then they cannot stop laughing. After three months in the US, I started taking English lessons. As is usual in a first ESL class, I had to introduce myself. So on my turn, I said, “My name is Malena. Repeat. Malena”. When I was saying “Malena” the second time, the whole class including the teacher in unison with me repeated “Malena”. It got my attention but I thought they were being polite trying to pronounce my name correctly. Two hours later, I was at home and then I realized it was me who said “Repeat. Malena”. I gave them an order! What I really wanted to say was, “I will repeat, Malena”. I made that mistake because in Spanish I would have say “Repito, Malena”.

Besides this anecdote that only shows my first struggles with the language, I still encounter a lot of difficulties to be precise in a language I did not grow up with. I feel that something is missing in each conversation I have. I hope these writings help me to repair that.

The person I want to be: One step forward

Being a good speaker helps to achieve some goals more easily. For example, when good-speaking scientists give a talk, they capture the attention of their audience more easily. That helps them to spread their ideas. But what can we do if we lack the skill of good speaking?

Last Thanksgiving I went with my husband for the 4-day weekend to Searsport, Maine. We stayed in Inn Britannia that offers the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. And I should also say that they have award-winning breakfasts! On Thursday afternoon, just before the grand event, I was taking a shower and thinking, “Oh, I should have something in mind to toast just in case someone asks”. While waiting for dinner, all the guests at the Inn were gathering in the living room, and of course one of them suggested that each of us say a few words. I said to myself, “Good thought. You are prepared”. After a few toasts, my turn was coming, and my heart started bumping hard. When my turn arrived, I did not know how to start. Speaking slowly I found some words, and then somehow I said my ready speech, “I am thankful for the great food we have today…thankful for having the opportunity to enjoy the joy of people in this particular day”. Simple words. But they were all listening. It was a nice feeling.

When going to bed that night my husband told me that I surprised him and said, “Your speech was great”. That made my day! That meant my effort was a step forward to become a good speaker. Will I be? It does not matter. But the little step was greatly rewarding.

My first post!

Hello! Welcome to my first post! I am so excited! I have been waiting for this day for a long time. Wishing to have my place online to share with you my life. I am not sure how often I will write, but I hope I keep you interested and coming back. Which will depends, of course, on how my life goes and how entertaining my writing is. I do not have a particularly topic on mind but tons. To mention some: movies, books, music, technology, cool websites, articles, and much more. I want to share picture, stories, and thoughts. Ready to follow my adventure on Earth from now on? The trip has just started!