How is this possible? They were speaking Spanish, which I do not speak, but I heard them in english?

Question

I want to see if this is common & why?

Some background. As babies, my brothers and I had a Spanish speaking, live-in Nanny for 3 years. I do not speak, & have not studied Spanish. I cannot participate in spanish conversations. I doubt our Nanny was teaching babies extensive Spanish :-) though she had pet names etc.

Years ago I worked with Hispanic coworkers who spoke Spanish & English. One day we were rushing through a project & though distracted, I responded to a joke one of the guys was telling. Everyone stopped & said "You understood that?" I had been focusing on our task, but heard the joke in English (& responded in English). They insisted he told the joke in Spanish

The 2nd time this happened I was being robbed. I was with 2 friends & we were held up at gunpoint. I was in shock but I heard the robbers say 'give me the keys" repeatedly. To this day my friends say they were speaking Spanish but I heard English

Anyone have similar experiences and know exactly why?

Answer 1

I have some background in Spanish but don't really speak it and the same thing happens to me. Your brain absorbs the words and apparently yours still remembers some language skills though you're unaware of it. Consequently you hear what they're saying but you're not really thinking about the fact that its in Spanish, your mind is just processing the words. And later, you'll remember it as if they were speaking English because your mind recognized the words even if it was subconciously.

Answer 2

Many Italians communicate English, so which you're probable extra useful off with English than Spanish. the place Spanish will are available in reachable is in recognizing the words in Italian, for the reason that the two are members of the comparable language family members. take it sluggish in the past to income a minimum of a few words in Italian; it is going to truly help once you're attempting to speak with somebody who would not comprehend English. in spite of everything, it relatively is Italy, and so the load of conversing is on the vacationer, no longer the host (even although the Italians have been frequently very efficient and affected person in this regard).

Answer 3

I once heard about a rancher that demanded anyone under his roof attend church on Sunday. A migrant family that spoke no English was so moved by the message. After the sermon they had the rancher thank the pastor for preaching in Spanish for them. The preacher did not speak any Spanish. That sounds the same. Could be divine intervention.

Answer 4

Kind of. Sometimes i can't remember if something was in english or spanish. I think it's a point where you just understand the message, you don't translate it from spanish to english, for example. And since you think you're not capable of understanding spanish, you think you MUST have heard it in english. Most probably some of the spanish has rubbed off on you, even if you haven't noticed it.

Answer 5

I sometimes remember things in the wrong language. If I watch tv or read something in a foreign language I sometimes am unable to remember what language was it in. (though I can remember everything they said)

Also, I remember to be watching a film that had both French and English on it, and I would not realise when they switched languages.

Answer 6

maybe it a combo of the fact that you picked up a little spanish in your youth and the fact that both spanish and english steam from latin.

because you knew a little already it might have been just enough for your mind to translate words that might be close to one another.

Answer 7

Translative thinking is actually quite common with people that are exposed to multiple languages and dialects. I understand French, Portuguese, and Italian but don't speak any of those languages.....good observation.

Answer 8

Similar events occurred in history and are recorded in Acts, chapter 2 of the bible.

Answer 9

Yes, it's possible. Consciously, you might think you didn't learn any Spanish from your nanny & co- workers, but you did. And that apparently saved your life!!!

Answer 10

It could just be that becuase you've been so exposed to spanish during your lifetime, that you've got used to it and ur brain just interpritates it as english....i have it when i hear french people talk sometimes.