DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH? ¿HABLA ESPAÑOL?

To the question “Do you speak English or Spanish?” I usually reply yes or sí. My answer, however, is misleading. I am often unable to converse with English-speaking Indians, Pakistanis, Liberians, and others, because I cannot understand them. The same thing happens when I try to talk with uneducated Dominicans, Venezuelans, or Andalusians, for example. Donald Trump once had a similar experience when he struggled to understand a question posed by an Indian journalist. Of course, there’s a difference: I try hard to understand, but often to no avail. That’s why I insist on pronouncing sounds clearly—lest we not be understood.