Making the Most of It

I was inexplicably mortified by not being able to speak Spanish. English is scarce in Alpedrete, and I soon discovered that shrugging apologetically and speaking in English anyway is not enough to get you by. You have to make an effort. And with that comes the struggles with pronunciation. As time went on, I discovered that the sheepish, uncertain way I was delivering my (absolutely minimal) Spanish was the cause to much of the confusion. Do not pose your statements as questions, as is so often the case when you’re feeling awkward or uncertain. The raise in pitch will hinder your annunciation and you will likely not be understood. Deliver your crappy, broken lines with confidence, and even if you make an absolutely hames of it, they’ll likely know what you’re getting at.