Getting Started 6: Date someone who doesn’t speak English

Date someone who doesn’t speak English. Okay, this doesn’t work so well if you already have a spouse or are in a relationship; don’t try it! There is always the possibility, however, that you are attempting to learn to speak Spanish because there is already someone special who has caught your eye and you want to have a chance to make something with them. You cannot do that, however, if the two of you cannot understand each other. If the person in question seems to be equally attracted to you, ask them to help you. Invite them out to dinner or to the park, where the two of you can teach each other basic vocabulary and communicate with gestures as much as words.

The all important factor in dating someone who doesn’t speak English is that you are going to want to spend a great deal of time together, and for this reason you are going to be forced to expand your vocabulary exponentially. You are going to learn words for food, for various activities (how else are you going to learn the Spanish word for ferris wheel, after all, if you don’t take the object of your affection to the fair?) and basic phrases. You are also going to have the opportunity to learn Spanish much as you learned English as a child-by hearing it spoken and learning to associate it with various objects and phrases.

The other benefit to dating someone who doesn’t speak English is that you are going to have the opportunity often to be thrust into situations where you are surrounded by Spanish speaking individuals. Most individuals from Latin countries choose to live with their extended family, and it is entirely conceivable that there would be four or more people living in a house. (As a matter of fact, many individuals who choose to live with their immediate family and do not open their doors to family located a little farther out on the family tree are perceived as snobs). These men and women are all going to speak Spanish, very likely the same dialect as your beloved, and therefore are going to go about their daily business in this language. You will have the opportunity to hear it spoken all around you, and will over time begin to understand a little bit more of what’s going on.

Ask the person you are dating to help you. Go to the library and find children’s picture books, teaching each other nous, and find a Spanish audio or internet course (we’ll go into those in greater detail in just a little bit) and ask them to help you practice. They will be able to help you to apply the endless vocabulary lists into day to day situations, as many of these courses are intended for travelers and it is more than likely that you are your other half are not going to spend a great deal of time asking each other when the last train to Madrid is going to be leaving the station (we recommend that the two of you wait to elope until communication comes a little more easily and the two of you really have a chance to get to know each other!)