Sometimes I worry that I’ve gotten too good at reading body language. When I’m tired and need a break from thinking in Spanish, my mind often wanders from the conversation at hand, especially if it’s a group conversation about something completely irrelevant to me (like the details of my boss’s cousin’s girlfriend’s outfit at the office party last year). Yet, even when my mind is wandering in English, I’ve become a master of following a conversation’s gestures, tones, and emotions. I can respond with a laugh, sigh, or “de verdad” without blinking.
Though often this is a valuable skill that lets my overworked brain have a little break, it is not without its dangers. For example, I was having dinner with several friends (none were native Spanish speakers) and the waiter was very friendly and talkative. At one point, he went off on a tangent about some friends of his and I lost track of what he was saying. When he finished, we all laughed and nodded our heads. He laughed in a conspiratorial manner and walked way. At which point, we all turned to each other and asked “What did he say?” Not a single one of us had actually understood the whole story, but we had all known exactly how to respond. Problematic to say the least.
Meg Gray is currently a Kiva Fellow in San Jose, Costa Rica. Follow her or La Vida Idealist on Twitter.
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You’ve been big on perceiving and imitating body language since before you could talk.
Wow, I definitely can relate to this. I used to think that the only way I’ll know I’m fluent in Spanish is when I can zone out and still comprehend what’s being directed at me. I guess we’ll never have the mother-child “What did I just say??” situation though to force us to really train our minds in Spanish.