Accent is not a barrier

There is no doubt that I have a very strong accent. I know I speak a "Brazilian English", mainly because my husband and some friends don't let me forget it :)

They make funny of me for the way I say some words, but they do not realize that they also have accent. But okay, immigrants always judge other people's English hoping to speak a little better.

Two weeks ago I was in a restaurant with a group of friends and the waitress asked what I wanted to drink and I answered: water with lemon. As soon as I finished to order, my husband started to correct the way I said "lemon". He always does that.

But this time a friend of mine said to him and to the other friends: I wish I had her accent and her diplomas, because she has accent, but she finished two colleges and now she is taking a certificate.

After that there was a moment of silent. She shut up them :) But more than that she made me to meditate on what she had said and I felt proud of myself.

Maybe I will never speak a perfect English, but it does not mean that I will not grow professionally or have a perfect understanding of the language. Learning a second language is not easy for adults, it takes a lot of effort and I can be proud of myself because I have an advanced English.

To finish I will write down a text that I read on facebook:

A boy asked his father:

How big is God?

Then the father looked to the sky and saw an airplane, so he asked his son:

How big is that plane?

The boy said:

Small, almost you can not see it.

Then the father took him to the airport and getting close to a plane asked:

Now, what the size of this one?

The boy replied:

Father, this is huge !!!

The father then said: So is God, the size will depend on how far you are from Him. The closer you are from Him, the more He will be in your life.

My brain speaks Portuguese

Do you know when you are talking in English and suddenly the word you want to pronounce disappear??? This always happens with me!!! Sometimes I talk fluently, smooth, and I feel that I am finally speaking a good English. But that feeling doesn't last long. Just a little more conversation and I want to kill my brain... Yes, because it insists to translate Portuguese to English instead to think the sentences in English.

I have studied English for years, so my brain should make some effort to help me thinking as an English speaker. Because when you translate from your native language to English the chance to make mistakes is huge!!! 

But I confess that is not only my brain's fault. I lived in the US for eight years; however, it was in Florida, so instead to learn a perfect English I learn a good Spanish... Yes, that's true!!! In Florida you live perfectly fine just speaking in Spanish or Portuguese.

In Vancouver is a little different. You cannot survive if you do not speak English... hummmm... or Chinese. You can live here speaking Chinese. But I did not move to Canada to speak Chinese, so it is better my brain starting to help me to improve my English.

My brain is so rebel, that if I spend the entire day in an English environment, my brain feels tired. And to relax it needs to hear and speak Portuguese. I am serious!!!
After class I go home tired, exhausted of fighting my brain. But I believe it is like practicing a sport, the more you do the better you get... At least I hope so :)

Human Trafficking

Everybody knows Canada is a country of immigrants and that Vancouver is a highly multicultural city. But I confess that sometimes the multiculturalism brings me up some shocking realities.

Today one of my classmates made a presentation about Dubai, the country where she was born and raised. It was a very nice presentation because the differences between Canada and Dubai are very interesting. But what caught my attention was her natural comment about some families in Dubai having slaves... Yes, I mean SLAVES!!! She said no one there talks about it, but it is kind normal. Slaves in Dubai are usually from Sri Lanka and India.

I'm taking some SFU classes at Surrey library and as soon as I started going there I read a poster in the library entrance, among dozens of other posters and flyers, asking people to report to the authorities cases of slavery or human trafficking. The poster touched my heart and I took a picture to put on my Portuguese blog, but it turned out I never did a post about it and deleted the photo. But today, after this class I felt that it was very important to write about this subject. We never thought that the person who lives on our side or that crosses our way may be in such a situation, but there are slaves here in Canada, in the US, in Dubai and in many other countries still today. They are people from poor backgrounds who were taken to other country with employment promise and had their passports confiscated, do not speak the local language and live in fear, being mistreated. In fact, many Brazilian young people are sold as slaves for prostitution.

I never met anyone who has been through it, but as the blog is a communication tool and I get visits from people from all over the world, I leave here my appeal: let's be alert to human trafficking. If you guys know anything please report to the authorities.

Siri and I

Do you know Siri??? She, he or it is the voice in the Iphones, is like an assistant app to make calls, recommendations and perform actions.

Siri and I have a relationship of love and hate. It is incredible how she (I am going to call she, because it is a woman voice :)) can drive me nuts in one moment and make me happy in another.

Usually happens when I am driving and I say to her: call Klarice. (Klarice is one of my friends). And the way I pronounce "Klarice" Siri understands and call her. Wow!!! I feel like "oh my gosh, my English is good!!!!" However, few minutes later when I say "call Betania"(Betania is another friend) Siri does not make the call.

It happened last week. I asked Siri to call Betania while I was driving, and she did not understand the name, so I decided change the way I was pronouncing and I tried again "call Bitenia". Siri did not understand either, so I tried on more time "call Batanya"... No, no, and no!!!! Siri did not understand the way I said Betania. I gave up when I started think to throw my Iphone out the window. I am serious!!! sometimes I feel so frustrated with my pronunciation that I promise myself do not talk to Siri again. But when the anger passes and I want to call somebody while I am driving I forgive Siri and give her another chance to make me happy.

Short or shirt

Today I had to face my accent problem one more time :( My daughter forgot her uniform shorts in a friend's house yesterday. She left the house using her leggings and nobody noticed she was missing her shorts. It would not be a big deal if she had many uniforms, but the other shorts she has are in a bigger size. So this morning, when we were running to go to school I asked her where the shorts were and she told me she had forgotten them. I had to improvise and she had to wear a large one.

After leaving my daughter at school I called her friend's mom to ask for the shorts... Hi, this is Renata. Thank you for having my daughter for a playdate yesterday. She loved it!!! I was wondering if you have found her uniform's shorts in your house??? And she asked me: Shirt??? 

No, shorts!!!

Shirt???

No, shorts, like for the legs!!!

Oh, legging!!!

No, shorts!!!!

Shirt???

No, shorts!!!

Ah, shorts...

Yes, shorts.

Oh my gosh!!!! she couldn't understand my shorts... Speaking English is a challenge even when I think it would be easy.

The video and transcription

Hello world!!! I did not want to post my video here, because as I've mentioned before I am completely overweight and I do not like to look at myself. But I did not have choice, so... Just for you Mary!!!

Transcription

Peter: Can you tell me Renata What is (what’s) the thing you like the most about Canada?

Renata: In Canada I am feel (I’m feel) safe (I feel safe). It is different from my home country. Even though I know there is no ah perfect country in the world. All countries have their own problems (all countries have problems). So Canada has problems, but it is (it’s) not so many problems as Brazil has (But has not as many problems as Brazil has). So I like to drive at night knowing that I am going to (gonna) (go back) home safely. I know to walk in the street (if I walk on the streets and need to take a bus) and take the bus and not worry if someone stops the bus to steal (I do not be worried if the bus with be stolen or not). So that’s it. I think this is the most important. (I think that is very important to feel safe where you live)

Peter: And what’s the thing you miss the most about Brazil?

Renata: I think I miss my family... I think no, I am sure I miss my family and also some food (I also miss the Brazilian food). Because it is (it’s) difficult to find the food we have in Brazil here in Canada. But I cook something, you know (but at least I know how to cook some dishes).

Peter: Make what?

Renata: Like black beans (such as “feijoada”, which is made with black beans). Black beans they call “feijoada”. (Another example it would be fish with dende oil called moqueca) Like a fish with oil from Africa that’s called “dendê”, so it is “moqueca”. It is from Brazil, from my city.

Peter: Which city are you from?

Renata: I am from Salvador. It is north of Brazil. It is northeast of Brazil.

Peter: What is the most popular soccer team in Salvador?

Renata: Victoria.

Peter: Are they good?

Renata: No. They are very bad.

Peter: Oh yep?

Renata: yep

Peter: But they play with the other like Sao Paulo?

Renata: Yes. They play, yes.

Peter: Do you like that team?

Renata: I like it. But they are very bad.

Peter: Do you go to the stadium often?

Renata: No.

Peter: Is it very dangerous to go to the stadium?

Renata: In some areas, in some cities, yes.

Notes

Sound issues: I believe people can understand what I wanted to say even though I did many mistakes.

Word stress issues: There is no

                                Have their own problems

Message unit issues: there are not so many problems as Brazil has

                                  I like to drive at night and know that I am going to home safely.

Strong and weak forms issues: to steal

                                                  To take

                                                   To find

                                                   The food

Native vs. Non-native speaker differences: difficult

                                                                      With

                                                                       of

Weight and English

Today my English instructor asked to the class a video of each student talking about something for two minutes. It had to be a video, not just our voices, so I panic!!! Why??? You have no idea how fat I am!!! Oh my gosh!!! I could not imagine to watch myself speaking English in a video. And worse, the instructor also asked me to post the video here in my blog!!!! no way!!!! It is too much for me!!!! :):):)

I recorded my video and while I was watching my mind was talking to me: Renata, now you see how much you need to lose weight??? 

And I answered  to myself: yes, it is time to take a position.

But my fat was not the main problem in the video. After watch the video slowly to make a transcription I have come to the conclusion that my English is worse than I thought :(

No, I am not exaggerating!!! I am serious!!! When I am talking I really believe that I am speaking more correct than incorrect, but the transcription showed me that even though people can understand what I am saying, most of my sentences structures are incorrect. 

It is complicated when your mind translates your language to English, because often it would be wrong. The ideal would be think in English before open the mouth; however, if your are in this level I am sure you are speaking better than me.

The goal now is to improve conversation recording more videos and making more transcriptions.
I hope to lose weight for the next recordings :)

My first post

Hi, my name is Renata. I am from Brazil and currently living in Canada. After years trying to speak English fluently I have come to the frightening conclusion that I will never talk as an English speaker... oh, boy!!!

My accent still very strong and I always talk something wrong... even when I know that it is wrong.

Do you know when you are saying a sentence and in your mind you catch a mistake??? Yes, this is always happens with me and I hate it!!! But I know it is part of the learning process.

Another thing that in my opinion is frustrating is ending a sentence in a small talk and someone looks at me and says: Excuse me.

It is like hearing "I did not understand anything you've said".

However, it is important not to give up... okay, I confess that sometimes I lose patience, but then I remember that I choose to live in Canada and to learn English is not an option it is a need. :)