The Savannah morning news., 1900-06-30
THE SPANISH LANGUAGE.
rRUGGLEs OF AMERICANS IN CUBA
WHO SEEK TO MASTER 1T.

From the New York Times
Havana. June 1l.-"Can you speak
Ispanish?' How much Spanish do you
Iknow?" Have you a Spanish teacher?"
EThese and a dozen similar questions are
n, heard on all sides. eagerly asked by the
N ew-comers of other Americans VINO, by
1 rtue of having lived in Cuba a year or
1 TWO are entitled TO be called old residents
Ii the island The newcomer is much as
I1ouished ii he receives a negative aAsw-r,
or he is sure that he is going to learn
he language at once. The Romance
1usues have the. reputation of being easy
4 O. learn and Spanish is not menio ed as
exception to this rule. Here, where
here is every opportunity 10 learn TO
peak with the least possible trouble, as
is the only language of the common
|ps0rle as well as of many of the better
n asses, he thinks it strange that any on
II 1oud ignore such advantages. But he is
Elesh from the North with all of the
II ncrgy and vigor acquired in thaC .acing
mate. II VIII be well for him if he finds
ster that he has brought sufficient ocA
H keep him from falling by the wayside
n his studies. 1t takes but few months
III this climate to convert one to the Gu
an way of taking life easy.
L
n nat go 10 the bookstore 10 supply them
E;elves with the necessary book for study.
lThe book bought is usually small one,
Nomprising sentences on great variety
hi subjects. The book bought, it is taken
nome and laid OF the table l knew a
woman who has had an ornament of this
kind for over a year, trusting, as do the
II hers of this class, that in some way its
presence will bestow upon her the gift of
oil hon Yh
n he has not glanced at is pages. The
xoyers are becoming somewhat wo. n from
4onstant handling however, for, that she
3nay Impress others with her inteltiUn to
4rudy, she carries it about with hec wnen
4here are apt to be people to see it. This
svoman represents a class on an eXagSer-
Il ed scale. 1t is needless, perhaps to add
4hat hey learn scarcely al y spanish; the
lew words that they acquire from hear
4ng them spoken do not count for much
and they return to America with about as
3ittle knowledge of the language as when
ahey came
Il Others take the book home and, with
had enthusiasm, begin 30 study the lists
ff words, or perhaps the still more unin-
feresting subject of pronunciation of let
4 Hers They struggle along alone or with a |
4eacher spending three or four hours |
Raw thus until, wearied both mentally ana |
Il lNSlCHGy, their GnluuoidsIl bSSilI> ~ /
sVane. few days more of desultory work |
Ind the book is closed. while the student |
teks himself what is the good of all this |
Avork Why should not the Cubans learn |
bur language and noe we theirs? We are |
fuly to be here a short while, in all like
jhood, and after that there will be no Op- |
fortunity to speak it, and plenty in which |
l. forget. So what is the use of giving up |
] his time that might be used for pleasure |
instead of work? And any way it is too |
ayarm to exert ones self. So, bang! the |
book is shut and thrown into a chest or
b. the TOP shelf of a bookcase, the eX-
udent leans back in his rockingham |
J. the dolce-far-niente way that this eli |
hate teaches and allows the few Spanish
words he has learned 10 pass out Of his
hind.
There IS another class and each goes to
york in earnest. with the slower but more
teady pace that wins the race in the long
fun. He usually has a teacher, with
; hose assistance and that OF the book he
fains some knowledge of the language. |
kfter about three weeks of study he |
nows enough words to do a little shop |
ping, so, proud of this, he goes on |
hopping expedition, carrying his diction>
ery with him in case of extreme need. AS |
rule he decides beforehand what he |
Wishes to get. composes his sentences, |
u liLHS them OAt on paper anu Stuu4GS |
them, so as to appear to better advantage. |
The moment a person carrying one Of |
These dictionaries enters a store some one
sent posthaste 10 find the clerk that
Speaks English The customer does not !
Ike this-he wishes 10 dir his newly ac- |
1uired accomplishment and considers II |
q personal afront thar he is suspected of |
{ ot understanding Spanish. The English |
speaking clerk usually speaks exceedingly |
poor English. but rejoices in the adven,
n an American customer SO that he may
pave some practice.
The clerk asks in English what he can
o for the American the American is not
fOi0p o miss his CHARGE to Dra otice
Spanish, so he tells the Jerk hi wishes in
Spanish The clerk, pc by a similar
p tive, perseveres in his English end so
fhe dialogue in the two tongues, about
fqrallv matched rs to gran NAUTICAL cor
ctnfss continues until the purchase is
AIDE If by chance TIE cl TX drops Eng
sh and adopts Spanish. The custome
Il lost Hlweve'. the latter feels conf
snt that the fault of berg unable TO I'M
terstard SITS not with i'm. bur with
he clerk. TITS beli-f is no. dispelled for
nun Der of we ks. dlrirg which he rare
h un erstands a word spoken by Span
lard or Cuban; his only thought is that
4 is queer that yhose he meets speak
>
fnonths he begins to nave a suspicion
Plat perhaps he has not completely mas
1 red the language and, as his mind be-
ZONES more and more open TO this idea,
Pc reg MS work in earnest.
In the m artime he speaks English with
fVery one he fruit vendor, vegetable
Inen, hucksters. servants and clerks in
torres. He makes various pretexts FOR de
fainins each Of these in conversation. Il
|natters lite that this class Of Cubans
break the "patois" of the country drop
ing the IS a the end of words; he is
Eeting little practice in unders anding
oxen Ian uage. sides dropping
he final IS" Cubans never give the lisp
|ng sound to the letter &C." as the Span
ard does. A Spaniard can always be told
rom a Cuban by this difference in pro
funciat ton 1t is an excellent thing for
PIN II he can make friends with Cuban
families, especially If these speak English
x lusively. Many make a point of doing
; his and of securing BOARD with such a |
family If possible. Mercenary? Yes, but
Usually the American gives quid PRO quo
1 or such a friendship by teaching the
family English in return There are few
ubans. who do not wish to learn our
language
There are a great many Ame leans here
VINO can carry on a conversation In S an
sh on almost any topic with scarcely any
Ilhculty Business men in particular
pave especial need for a thorough ac-