In what language do you hablas?

During our time in Australia for Home Assignment many asked if I thought in Spanish or English while speaking here in Ecuador. In answer to that, here is an example of  how I caught myself thinking the other day…

I need to go to a tienda to comprar una box that would entrar en un space de 28cm. Pensé that there would be lots of opciones but cuando I looked I only saw tres opciones. I thought about the tres opciones y pensé mejor look en a shop that sold muchas things plásticas. 

It puts your mind into overdrive thinking in both languages much of the time, sometimes in English and sometimes in Spanish.

Is it hard? As I re-immerse myself into Ecuadorian culture I don’t find it difficult, but I find I’m not translating like I used to either, which is really nice (and less headaches). I think that the more I read and talk in Spanish the more I find myself entering into the Spanish speaking world and forgetting the appropriate word in English.

My thoughts are, my language for now is Spanish (because we are in Ecuador), my head needs to get used to it so the more I speak, the more I read, and the more coffee I drink in Spanish settings will all help me speak clearer and sharper than before.

If you’re learning a language and are frustrated, don’t give up, think of it as the best thing you can do to be understood. Oh, and my thoughts are, you don’t understand until you know you don’t understand (I used to think I understood everything, but then I started hearing clearer and realised I really didn’t understand), until then keep up the hard work.

What’s been your experience of learning a language?

And I wonder why my English is failing so much...