I can read it better than speak it now, because immersion was 17 years ago. I try to practice and my daughter it learning Spanish now so that helps somewhat. There are a LOT of native Spanish speakers in this area (military base) so now that I am back around base, there is more opportunity to practice. I find the Puerto Ricans are more easily understood than Mexicans in general once you get past the speed with which they speak! I think Chileans are the MOST difficult to understand :o)


>Sounds pretty cool. Do you feel confident in your Spanish now?
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>I enjoy speaking Spanish, but sometimes, depending on the country people are from, I have difficulty in understanding them. I have a friend who is from El Salvador; his Spanish is so well spoken and clear that I cannot help but understand everything he says, yet with most Mexicans, it is difficult for me to comprehend them if they do not speak clearly; my wife is Mexican and although I can understand her, the problem then becomes that I need some more vocabulary and immersion into a Spanish-speaking country; it is more difficult here in the mainland US to get that immersion. As for my father-in-law, I have difficulty understanding his speaking.
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>>There is a school for the military and government in Monterrey, CA. The Defense Language Institute (DLI). You spend all day, everyday, for months speaking reading and writing the foreign language you are learning. The length depends on the language. All languages are taught there. No English is spoken. You have typically 5-10 teachers from different countries that speak the language so you can become accustomed to the different dialects. Sometimes after graduation, depending on the use of the language you will need (as I did), you go to a host country of the language and live with a family for up to 3 months.