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Argentina

Katia talks about her time in Argentina and her language background.
Todd: Hey, Katia, you just lived in Argentina for a year. So can you talk a little bit about why you went to Argentina?

Katia: Yes. Actually I did think it was a very interesting country, a very good experience for me. I was there for a year and I went there to do an internship for five months but actually at the end of the internship, after the five months, they decided to hire me and of course I said yes I was very happy to stay a little bit longer in Argentina and learn about Argentina and the Argentinians.

Todd: Was this the first time you had lived in Argentina?

Katia: Yes, first time.

Todd: Now you also come from a Spanish speaking country, so was it easy for you to adapt?

Katia: Yes, regarding the language of course it wasn't a barrier. I was able to understand and they were able to understand me but I haven't been in a Latin American country for a while so that was a little bit difficult, but other than that it was not a problem.

Todd: Now when you speak Spanish in Argentina, can they tell instantly that you are from Mexico?

Katia: They can right away tell that I'm not Argentinian. Some will struggle a little bit to know where I am from. Usually they were in between I'm either Colombian or Mexican.

Todd: And for your work environment it was always in Spanish?

Katia: It was always in Spanish.

Todd: Now you speak many languages right? You obviously speak English fluently and do you speak Russian?

Katia: And I also speak Russian.

Todd: That's because your parents are Russian?

Katia: My mother.

Todd: OK.

Katia: My mother is Russian and my father Mexican.

Todd: And do you speak any other languages?

Katia: I speak a little bit of Japanese.

Todd: Wow. It's almost like you have one language from every continent.

Katia: No not really. Probably the Arabic is missing.

Todd: All right. So Arabic, now you lived in Morocco correct?

Katia: No, I only visited Morocco.

Todd: OK.

Katia: So I haven't lived in an Arabic country, nor African.

Todd: OK.

Learn Vocabulary from the Lesson

internship

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I went there to do an internship for five months.

Students often do an internship at a company where they work for no pay to gain work experience.  Notice the following:

  1. The local TV station offered me an internship.
  2. She's doing an internship at Dell Computer.

hire

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They decided to hire me.

When we get hired, that means some one gives us a job.  Notice the following:

  1. They said they weren't hiring now.
  2. We need to hire two more employees.

adapt

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So was it easy for you to adapt?

When we adapt, that means we become comfortable with something new or different than we are use to.  Notice the following:

  1. I was difficult to adapt to the hot weather.
  2. Companies must learn to adapt to the changing global economy.

barrier

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Regarding the language of course it wasn't a barrier.

A barrier is something that makes it difficult to get what we want.  Notice the following:

  1. The language barrier made it difficult to communicate.
  2. Was language a barrier?

tell

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Can they tell instantly that you are from Mexico?

When we can tell something that means we know it is true by observation.  Notice the following:

  1. I could tell he was nervous.
  2. The teacher could tell we didn't understand.

Vocabulary Quiz

internship • hire • adapt
barrier • tell
  1. After a series of interviews, the company called to me.
  2. I could from his eyes that he was not telling the truth.
  3. Lack of trust is a to good relationship.
  4. Children seem to to changes more easily than adults do.
  5. I spent one year of at the hospital.
Answer the following questions about the interview.

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