I am having such a hard time picking up this language. Nouns? Not a problem. But the grammar, verbs and gender issues totally defeat me. I kid myself that I am one of those who have problems with memory and retention, which is said to be more challenging for adults due to changes in memory capacity. (I always said it was an old age thing -there’s no room for new stuff up there). Lack of immersion is another reason, unlike children who are often immersed in a new language environment, adults may have limited exposure to the language they are learning.

Am I too old?

I have pondered this several times – am I just too old? I have had lessons – please don’t tell me I am too lazy to try to learn, and I know that if I lived anywhere but the Algarve, where English and other languages are widely spoken, I would struggle with everyday living even more.

I am a native English speaker and wasn’t taught anything else while at school. The Husband learned Irish (he is Irish, but his parents didn’t speak it), and was taught Latin for heavens’ sake, and neither have been useful. Admittedly, in certain parts of Ireland, they don’t speak anything but Irish, and students are sometimes sent to these places to get ‘totally immersed’ in the language during the holidays. This is known as ‘going to the Gaeltacht’, and kids would mutter under their breath about being sent there like it was the gateway to Hell. The Gaeltacht regions are unique in their Irish context, and it’s important that the uniqueness is retained in today’s world, otherwise all knowledge of it will be lost. It is said to be a great experience for students and a time for them to learn about all things Irish.

Speaking Portuguese as a foreigner

Portuguese grammar is tough, some of the sounds are alien to me, and even the way you work your mouth to say the sounds is different. I have tried - oh yes indeed, I have tried, but I either get answered back in a torrent of Portuguese that I have no hope of mentally translating at that speed - I may pick out a word or two, or I get answered in English, as the receiver recognises that my Portuguese attempt is rubbish, but was understandable enough for them to try and improve their own knowledge of English in response.

Credits: Unsplash; Author: @element5digital;

I am in agonies of jealousy when I come across a toddler who not only understands Portuguese but speaks it as well. Yes, I am aware that their parents are their role models and play a big part in a child’s development, and young children ‘immersed’ in a new language generally don’t suffer from the self-defeating anxiety about learning a language as adults do.

One time in a supermarket, we were already in the queue when I remembered we needed eggs, but I had no idea where they were located. In a rush, I sped past the security man, I hastily asked: ‘onde estão os ovos’ (where are the eggs) but it came out as ‘onde estão os avôs’ (where are the grandfathers). Oh, such a little pronunciation error! – and ultimately it meant there was no omelette for supper that night.

Excuses

I am not looking for excuses, but learning a new language can be challenging for several reasons, and one is cognitive load (or in my case, this should be cognitive overload). Learning a new language involves learning new vocabulary, grammar rules, and pronunciation. This can overwhelm the brain, especially if the language is vastly different from one's own native tongue.

Please forgive those, like me, who struggle. We love this country or we wouldn’t be here. We shouldn’t have to apologize for broken Portuguese, as we are trying to communicate in a language that is unfamiliar, and we do our best to express ourselves as best we can. Don’t laugh at us, we may get it wrong sometimes, but we do try to focus on the message we are trying to convey. Obrigada.

Author

Marilyn writes regularly for The Portugal News, and has lived in the Algarve for some years. A dog-lover, she has lived in Ireland, UK, Bermuda and the Isle of Man. 

Marilyn Sheridan