I have started working with a new iTalki.com teacher on my Spanish language learning journey, a young accordion player – accordions being prominent in Mexican music – from Guadalajara, Mexico. He has a Masters in French, but teaches Spanish online as there is more demand for it and he can charge more. Besides Spanish and French, he also speaks some Italian and wee bit of Arabic. While he speaks English, he does not list it on his iTalki profile as he is after more advanced students. As he said to me, he does not want to be someone’s dictionary. I know he lived in Chicago for a while, actually not too far from Barrington. However, given the size of the Hispanic community in the Chicago area, it would be very possible to live there and only speak Spanish.
The other day for some reason he asked me what I thought of my Spanish. Being the wise ass that I am I used the line I use with waiters in Mexican restaurants, hablo español como un perro negro, I speak Spanish like a black dog. It never fails to elicit a laugh from a waiter. I went on to say, in Spanish, that I speak a very Gringo type of Spanish, and I wish I was more fluid than I am.
His reply to me was, “I just wish my English was as good as your Spanish.” Of course, I have never conversed with him in English to know the level of his English skills but nevertheless I am going to take it as a compliment.
And so it goes.