Mis Sueños in Español – My Dreams in Spanish

I am beginning to dream (empiezo a soñar) in Spanish. The other night, I had a dream and I was on the street somewhere here in Santiago, and I ran into 2 young men and asked them a couple of questions and listened to thier replies  Even in my dream, I could tell this exchange was going on in Spanish and it seemed as natural as any other event in life, a normal exchange between people on the street (la gente en las calles), just passing along some information and getting some in return.  Yet, when I awoke, I realized that it was a dream (un sueno), and that the dream had been in Spanish, which is something I had experienced in the past, but not in such depth and clarity.

One thing I have heard from people, whether they be freinds, family or acquaintances, is that once  you start to dream in another language (un otro idioma), is when you really start to make progress.  Some even go as far to say that you are bilingual or at least funcionally literate in another language.  I am not sure how I feel about that, but do recognize that dreaming in another language is not a regular occurence, and I do recognize that it represents a new level (un nivel nuevo) of accomplishment. It is a pause for reflection, an opportunity to see that progress (el progreso) has really taken place, in the way a runner suddenly feels light on their feet passing a distance that used to be laborious and difficult.  I know that I have a long way to go, but this is a milestone that is worth paying attention to in a real way.

In learning the Spanish language, I also have gotten a lot of advice along the way.  You know, watch soap operas (telenovelas), or watch the news (las noticias), and I have done those things, not only here, but also back in El Paso.  I have taken classes, I have read books (los libros), newspapers (los periódicos), comics like Condorito, and signs along the road. I have watched Spanish films (las películas), shows, even things in spanish on YouTube. I have spoken to people on the street, in elevators, in stores and at schools.  I have listened to directions, I have even given directions, I have progressed, and I think my dreams verify that as well.

Yet (Todavía), I am not a native speaker and I still have a lot to learn.  I struggle to understand the person on the street, I struggle to keep up in professional meetings (reuniones profesionales), I struggle to effectively communicate to students and colleagues, I struggle to make the basics points in the day connect well, and at times, I do admit, it is frustrating.  But, I am not discouraged, in fact I am more encouraged today that at any time along this journey.  Now that the novelty of the effort has worn off and the real work has begun,  I can now focus in on not only what I need to learn (aprender) in Spanish, but how this experience can help me, not only as a teacher (un maestro) and educator back home, but also as a citizen of the world, (el mundo) reaching out to others and looking for new dreams to pusue, especially if they are in Spanish.