Lansberry Language

                                                         ¡Buenos días!  ¿Cómo está usted? Bien, gracias. Hello. How are you?  Fine, thank you. I was born in San Jose, California and grew up all over the state.  I heard Spanish my whole life and my mother would often say things in Spanish to us to help us learn.  I took Spanish in School and always enjoyed trying to use the language.   When I was in seventh grade, we moved to El Centro, CA which is about 12 miles north of the Mexico Border.  I attended Middle School and High School there.   Border Spanish can often have a mixture of Spanish and English, often called Spanglish.  Two cultures and languages divided by a line still blend together creating an interesting mix.  For example, saying "lonche" instead of "almuerzo" for lunch. When I was in High School, I volunteered at the Valley Orthopedic Clinic in Calexico, right on the border.  My uncle, Wayne Van De Graaff, who worked in immigration,  had start

Bonjour! Comment ça va? Bien! Ia ora na!  Eaha te huru?  Maitai! Hello! How are you you?  Good! When I was 21, I served a health mission for my church in French Polynesia.  I first went to the Language Training Mission (LTM) in Provo, Utah.  I spent the first 6 weeks learning French and then another 6 weeks learning Tahitian.  Two totally different languages.  I had learned Spanish growing up so being called to serve in a place that spoke two different languages was a shock but an exciting challenge.  The LTM was a great immersion program that was so motivating making it one of the fastest ways to learn a language.  Especially when you know you will be in that country soon teaching in their language. French Polynesia is located in the South Pacific.  The largest and main island is Tahiti.  French Polynesia is a French overseas community (Collectivé d'outre-mer) making it a semi-autonomous territory of France.  French is the official language but Tahitian is the native lan

Welcome to my language blog!  I love exploring the world and learning languages.  I've lived and traveled to many places around the globe.  Making real connections by communicating in the local language has always been important to me.   I've taught Foreign languages for several years in Public schools.  I have also spent 20 years with military life which allowed me to live, work, or travel to 17 countries.  Sharing my experiences with those who are learning a language has always been great fun for me. Come join me as I share my adventures in languages.  I hope it will inspire you to broaden your horizons, explore your world, and experience the joy of languages! Donna Lansberry www.lansberrylanguage.com For more favorite website or app for learning a language, visit Duolingo:   https://www.duolingo.com /