Today I wanted to drill down into the differences between “working languages” and “fluency.” Throughout the years, many people have told me to stop saying that I “don’t speak Spanish and Italian.” After all, I translate from both, so it’s obvious that I “speak them” at some level. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to understand the material I translate, transcribe, or subtitle. I wouldn’t be able to read books originally written in those languages. I wouldn’t be able to watch entire movies or series from Spanish-speaking countries and from Italy without the assistance of subtitles. And I wouldn’t be able to communicate professionally with clients who reach out to me in those two languages. So, why do I always say that I don’t “speak” those languages? Well, it’s a personal choice, really.
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