Expat Blogger Challenge: Day 19

My Accent.

Whatever this means to you, how does it affect your life now?

Hey y'all! Spanish folk always say I'm easier to understand when speaking English until they find out I'm from Texas and then all of sudden I start getting statements along the lines of " I can't understand you" and " at least you aren't as hard to understand as British people". Thanks for the compliment.
As for my Spanish accent, I'm all over the place:
If the conversation is switching between English and Spanish it's difficult for me to keep changing the way I hold my mouth and turn my tongue correctly.
If the conversation is strictly in Spanish and I know all the words I'm using then I've actually received compliments for my accent. Most people know I speak no other language than my native tongue and that I only began learning Spanish in September. Outside of reading a few of my favorite authors in Spanish I have not interacted before in the language.
 Funnily enough I tribute my non-accent and ability to learn an accent to my English Language crazy parents and my Theatre background. Both require the mastering of a clear tongue so that people sitting in the "sneak-out of a high school play early unseen" seats can hear you clearly and no one ever gives you flack for a jumbled conversation.

But let's not just allow the Spanish speakers a free-pass. When I first arrived in Madrid and people from all over the world were finding out where exactly I was going to be learning Spanish everyone said the same thing, "oh they drop the end of their words AND chew certain letters, good luck!". I honestly just thought it was a patrotic stereotype passed down, but little did I know the joy of hearing the full word, "Adios" until visiting Barcelona.
 Then when visiting Paris I held three conversation with three different random folks whose main focus during the conversation was how difficult to understand the Andulcian can be the majority of the time. Honestly it's easy to find this frustrating, but after traveling north and being able to communicate way better I'm thankful for the trail by fire and know that all my hardwork has paid off.

What languages other than your native tongue do you speak dear reader? Was it difficult to learn or easy as pie?
 How about understanding others in a second language, how does that process work for you. Again if you want to participate in the challenge feel free to answer in the comments section or post a link to your blog.

Until next time, Adios, Hasta Pronto, Be Blessed  . . .