Lost in Translation

Once fall arrived, so did thoughts of returning to school. My focus shifted from bureaucratic tasks to one of my main goals in moving to Portugal. I hope to—no, I will--become a competent Portuguese speaker. As a retiree with plenty of free time these days, I see language learning almost as a job. Despite many humbling moments, I enjoy it enough to regard it as a hobby, too.

To get a head start, I played with apps and signed up for online tutoring well before moving. It didn't take long to realize that learning a foreign language in my late 50s would be no easy feat. Popular language apps like Duolingo and Babbel use only Brazilian Portuguese which has fundamental vocabulary, grammatical, and pronunciation differences from European Portuguese. Most movies and TV shows I found in the language were geared toward Brazilians and until very recently, the mobile version of Google Translate used only Brazilian Portuguese. My mistake in investing time in mainstream language learning tools became obvious during a pre-move visit to Lisbon. I eagerly tried out some basic tourist phrases at cafes and hotels only to be met by confused stares and an immediate response in English. My clunky phrasing combined with a heavy foreign accent did not get me far. No shade to Brazil for their dominance in language education and media as it is simply a function of numbers. The nation's population of nearly 210 million dwarfs that of Portugal with just 10 million residents. Fully competent Brazilian speakers are usually understood in Portugal just fine (although not necessarily the other way around as European Portuguese speakers have a tendency to “swallow their vowels” and blend words together). For multilingual globetrotters, learning Brazilian Portuguese might be more practical as it is the more widely spoken version. But since I am living in Portugal, it makes sense for me to study the language of Portugal.

Once I switched apps and found a Lisbon-based online tutor, I started to make a bit of progress. It didn't take long to realize that like most adults (especially those of my mature age), I would not become fluent or even functional simply by living in Portugal. The ubiquitous use of English in modern day Portugal along with easy access to American TV programming means most of us are not even a little bit immersed in Portuguese. It will take concentrated effort and deliberate, daily practice, both through coursework and interacting (however awkwardly) with locals. Currently, I take classes at two different language schools, maintain my streaks on Euro-Portuguese language apps (my tutors recommend Memrise and Praktika) and regularly attend informal language exchange sessions with other learners at cafes. Doing something to study or practice Portuguese is an engaging daily habit now.

Google Translate is occasionally helpful in jogging my memory when I can't find the word I need. More often, it is a reliable source of embarrassment. One of my legendary fails happened while walking my dog around my Braga neighborhood. A group of children approached Julep with curious expressions and politely extended hands. I checked my trusty translation app for the words to assure them that Julep would enjoy their attention. “Podes acariciar!” I told them with a welcoming smile. I could tell by the kids' alarmed faces and quick departure that I got something wrong. My Portuguese teacher bemusedly explained later that the verb acariciar is loosely translated in English as “caress” or “fondle" and is not used in the context of "petting" an animal. So, yes...I once invited some sweet, innocent children to fondle my dog! Thank goodness their parents didn't alert the police.

At this point, I still have the vocabulary and phrasing of a toddler but accept small wins each time I manage to make myself understood. Unfortunately, even minor grammatical or pronunciation errors can make my noble efforts fall flat. Take the time I confidently used Portuguese to order two dozen cookies for a social reception. I was pretty sure that I had the phrasing right but the blank stare I received in response said otherwise. I clarified by ordering 24 bolachas and avoiding the word for dozen. It wasn't until I researched it later that I realized my mistake. It is necessary to pluralize the Portuguese word for dozen. Simply omitting the letter “s” (along with my strong foreign accent, I'm sure) made me unintelligible at the busy pastelaria counter.

Having some experience with Spanish or another romance language is a mixed bag. Spanish and Portuguese are both derived from Vulgar Latin and over 80% of their vocabulary roots are shared. My high school Spanish and years of practice with bilingual friends has certainly been helpful in learning and retaining vocabulary. Unfortunately, vocabulary alone doesn't take me very far in speaking in full sentences. In my first week of beginner language classes my teacher corrected me as I recited simple phrases with the wrong syllable emphasis or over-enunciated words. “Your words are correct but you sound Spanish.” she gently admonished me. That was news to me. I'm sure anyone from Latin America would strongly disagree. I also have a tendency to accidentally insert a Spanish word into a Portuguese phrase without even realizing it. I have met many functional, even native, Spanish speakers who struggle with pronunciation or with understanding spoken Portuguese. Jack, for example, is fluent in what we affectionately call Mexican-street-Spanish, but he would be the first to admit that it is not much help here. At Sunday mass he engaged in the customary “passing of the peace.” I heard him mumble something as he turned to offer a handshake to the folks seated in the pew behind us. I then heard their stifled but hearty chuckling. Jack was bewildered. “What do they think is so funny? The word is 'peixe,' right?” So close! The word he was going for is “paz” (peace) which to our ears does sound an awful lot like “peixe," the Portuguese word for fish!    

 

 This orange tree in my neighborhood has nothing to do with this topic. But isn't it oddly cool? I call it the Wealth Disparity tree.

Despite the shared origins of Spanish and Portuguese culture and the linguistic similarities, I am told that to some, intermingling the two languages may come off as offensive. I recently found an enlightening article on Portugal.com. The author, Zé Eduardo Penedo, explains that Portugal's hard fought independence from Spain dates back to the 12^th Century and since then has “oscillated between alliance and rivalry, between admiration and mistrust.” These days, the historic rivalry between the Iberian nations is a friendly one, usually settled on football fields. Nonetheless, it follows that the Portuguese people are proud of their unique culture and national identity. And it's easy to understand why they might take issue with being overshadowed by their larger, more affluent neighbor. If that doesn't convince you that defaulting to Spanish (as a non-native Spanish speaker, that is) while visiting Portugal is best avoided, consider this practicality: European Commission data estimates that less than 5% of Portuguese residents know Spanish. Based on their stats, you would have much better odds of finding someone who speaks English or French.

As an English-speaker in Portugal, there seems to be a low bar to impress. A simple interaction with an Uber driver or healthcare provider sometimes results in undeserved compliments on my limited language skills and imperfect pronunciation, especially when they find out I am a recent arrival from the United States. I have been told many times that native English speakers usually expect everyone to default to their home language, as it is often regarded as the common language of Europe. Living in northern Portugal, where English is spoken by only a minority of the population, I do see signs of this. Day trippers from Porto pop into Braga shops rattling-off orders in English and expecting a response from baffled employees. I have overheard conversations from other recent arrivals who plan to stop language learning once they have achieved A2 level, the minimum language proficiency required for permanent residency or citizenship in Portugal. “It's just too hard at my age!” They say, “The accent is so difficult to understand!” or even “I already speak English (or French, or Mandarin, or German...), that is enough for me to get by.” I can't really blame them. Even if you truly enjoy language learning or see yourself settling permanently in Portugal, the benefit of so much effort can seem questionable. It is fascinating to exchange stories with other immigrants from various countries (England, Hong Kong, Brazil, India, Kenya, along with our North American breathren, to name a few) and life stages (grade school to 70-something). All of them moved abroad for their own reasons and have their own hopes and dreams for living in a foreign country. Some are looking for a better life or easier way to support their families. Others are budget-conscious retirees stretching their pension or social security checks. Young digital nomads and middle-aged empty nesters alike come looking for adventure while they are still active enough to enjoy exploration. And of course, there are many stories from Americans and Britons seeking escape from political polarization or to regain a loss of personal freedoms. Whatever combination of reasons led each of us to uproot and move to an unfamiliar place, it seems to impact our motivation to learn the language. Some have figured out that they can get by just fine with English, for now, with a few key Portuguese phrases, a handy translation app, and perhaps a helpful Portuguese speaking friend or two. Some are worried about recent immigration law changes and the possibility of more stringent language requirements in the future, so are advancing to higher levels, just in case. Others signed up for classes as a way to add structure to their days or to learn the language as part of assimilating into Portugal's society. Those of us who choose to keep studying seem to have one thing in common. We love learning for learning's sake. We have accepted that acquiring a new language is a long term proposition and that there will never be a true end point. All of us, monolingual English speakers included, are continually expanding our language skills. We pick up new words and phrases each time we read a challenging news article, listen to a stimulating podcast, or hear creative song lyrics. Learning a foreign language works the same way, just with a far more basic starting point. Which means (sigh), I have a long way to go.

Realizing that the endeavor is harder than first expected, I remain committed to my goal of learning this foreign language at my ripe-old-age. The Portuguese people I meet every day make me want to keep at it. Almost all are patient with my feeble attempts and many are even willing to help me improve my phrasing or pronunciation. I love meeting like-minded immigrants, also struggling in pursuit of becoming proficient Portuguese speakers. We support each other and serve as a reminder of why we chose this path. A new friend from a language exchange group made a wise comment—we are not failing as long as we keep trying. The goal of fluency, which I naively thought would magically just happen after moving here, still eludes me. But learning is my job now. Back to work.