Speaker 1
I have 3 children below the age of 9. I work as a librarian in the city. My name means grown up in german. I love playing the flute. I go to work by boat everyday.
Speaker 2
I am an immigrant. I came here from europe in 2004. I am in the tech industry and work on software solutions. I love dogs and have fostered several of them. I run in half marathons.
Speaker 1
I live in a city and I work in a library. I work in the city. I'm from US and i know german. I travel on boat. I have 3 kids. I play flute.
Speaker 2
I'm from Europe and i work on software. I'm living in US since 2004. I like to run and did a half marathon. I have a family. I was in a band and I played drums. I have dogs.
Speaker 1
Hello. I am a librarian in the city. What do you do?
Speaker 2
I work on software issues I am from europe and you?
Speaker 1
I'm from the us. In german, my name means grown up.
Speaker 2
That is so cool. I benn in the us since 2004 and I love it here.
Speaker 1
I take a boat to work! What about you?
Speaker 2
I run to work I do half marathons every month.
Speaker 1
Wow! I have 3 kids under the age of 9 so I'm busy running too!
Speaker 2
I know you are busy. I work too much for a family.
Speaker 1
I do play the flute in my spare time. Do you play any instruments?
Speaker 2
I play the drums in my band.
Speaker 1
Cool! Maybe we can be in a band together some day..
Speaker 2
Yes that will be cool. We could jam.
Speaker 1
Yes. Jam in the city where I work!
Speaker 2
My dogs love to hear my play they dance a lot.
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Speaker 1
I live in a city and I work in a library. I work in the city. I'm from US and i know german. I travel on boat. I have 3 kids. I play flute.
Speaker 2
I'm from Europe and i work on software. I'm living in US since 2004. I like to run and did a half marathon. I have a family. I was in a band and I played drums. I have dogs.
Speaker 1
What kind of dog breed do you have?
Speaker 2
I have had several over the years. Right now, I have two labs, one black and one white.
Speaker 1
Those are great dogs. I also have two dogs that I often take the to the library with me. Do you want to start a band?
Speaker 2
I burned out a bit on bands. The problems with personality clash. It's hard when people can't get along. The music isn't fun to play, even if the audience has fun.
Speaker 1
That's true. There's a lot going on when you have people together doing creative things. Where are you from originally?
Speaker 2
My parents are from two different countries and met in a third country, where I was born, then we moved to a fourth country, where I grew up. Then I went to unviersity in another country. So I'm from a few places. But mostly France.
Speaker 1
That's great story. I'm not good at math but it seems like there's many locations involved. Did you have a dog in France?
Speaker 2
My parents really didn't want an animal in the house, so I didn't growing up. I wanted one in university but I couldn't afford it. Now it's possible to have as many dogs as I want. 
Speaker 1
How many more dogs would you have since you can have as many as you want?
Speaker 2
I would like at least two more. I don't want to get too many all at once, maybe add another one every couple of years. 
Speaker 1
Thats a good plan. Dogs make great companions. Maybe they can all be friends together. I speak German to my dogs.
Speaker 2
Dogs are great for practicing German. They're good listeners and enjoy the sound of the language. 
 7 hours
Speaker 1
I live in a city and I work in a library. I work in the city. I'm from US and i know german. I travel on boat. I have 3 kids. I play flute. I have two dogs. I take my dogs to the library with me. I speak German to my dogs.  I'm not good at math.
Speaker 2
I'm from Europe and i work on software. I'm living in US since 2004. I like to run and did a half marathon. I was in a band and I played drums. I'm burned out on being in a band. I have a black lab and a yellow lab. I didn't have a pet growing up. I would like to get more dogs. I think dogs are good listeners. My parents are from two different countries. I have lived in several different countries. I spent most of my time in France. I have attended university.
Speaker 1
I overheard one of my kids telling the other two to lay down in German and guess what the dogs started doing!
Speaker 2
my guess is they laid down. it is no different than commands in english. i think that is great. do your kids speak english and german at home?
Speaker 1
I have taught them some words and phrases and occasionally I do speak German at home.  My hope is that they will have a good foundation in the language by the time they are old enough to take it in school.
Speaker 2
that is a great asset to have being bilingual. In the United States, it is great to speak english and spanish now. Do you think you will have them learn spanish as well?
Speaker 1
I think that would be a very good language for them to learn considering where we live, but I don't speak Spanish.  My husband however is fluent in the language and I have been encouraging him to teach them when he has time.
Speaker 2
what a wonderful household having many languages to learn from at you fingertip. With you working at a library they have plenty of resources to chose from.
Speaker 1
Yes, that certainly helps.  You yourself have lived in more than one country.  Do you have any foreign language skills yourself?
Speaker 2
Yes, I speak Spanish, English, and German. My parents are from Germany and Spain.
Speaker 1
Which language do you feel was the easiest for you to learn?
Speaker 2
Spanish is the easiest. I learned English in school before I came to the States and the two languages are similar in alot of ways.
Speaker 1
Hmm, maybe I should try to hone my own Spanish skills.  What language did your parents speak most often as you were growing up?
Speaker 2
My mother's language is Spanish. I grew up in Spain. We spoke mostly Spanish.
5 days 7 hours
Speaker 1
I live in a city and I work in a library. I work in the city. I'm from US and i know german. I travel on boat. I have 3 kids. I have young children. I play flute. I have two dogs. I take my dogs to the library with me. I speak German to my dogs.  I'm not good at math. I speak English more than I speak German. I live in an area with a lot of Spanish speakers. I speak some Spanish but not much.
Speaker 2
I'm from Europe and i work on software. I'm living in US since 2004. I like to run and did a half marathon. I was in a band and I played drums. I'm burned out on being in a band. I have a black lab and a yellow lab. I didn't have a pet growing up. I would like to get more dogs. I think dogs are good listeners. My parents are from two different countries. I have lived in several different countries. I spent most of my time in France. I have attended university. I am familiar with the German language. I have lived in more than one country. I come from a multicultural and multilingual family--German and Spanish. I am trilingual. I learned English outside of the home. Spanish is my predominant language.
Speaker 1
My family has decided to start a new tradition where every Saturday morning, we will all speak to each other in Spanish, only. Can't wait to see how it goes!
Speaker 2
Good luck. Do you all know enough to last long?
Speaker 1
Haha no clue, but I am pretty excited about it. It will definitely help me to feel closer to my neighbors.
Speaker 2
You should tell them to only speak to you in spanish. That might help
Speaker 1
It might, but I am always so grateful when someone speaks English and my brain gets a break. I wish I had started learning Spanish much younger.
Speaker 2
I've heard learning earliest is always the best. Should help your kids.
Speaker 1
That is very true. I am happy that they SHOULD be able to speak three languages quite easily. They will keep me on tack on Saturday mornings, that's for sure.
Speaker 2
So what happens if someone breaks the rule?
Speaker 1
Grounded for 2 weeks! I kid. It isn't supposed to be a tortuous thing. I think we can come up with someone silly like whipped cream in the face or something. Keep things light.
Speaker 2
Or maybe add 15 minutes in the afternoon. Just for them.
Speaker 1
That is not a bad idea. Haha I am the one who will probably screw up, so I have to be easy on myself.
Speaker 2
No beer that night. That'll keep you on track
5 days 12 hours
Speaker 1
I live in a city and I work in a library. I work in the city. I'm from US and i know german. I travel on boat. I have 3 kids. I have young children. I play flute. I have two dogs. I take my dogs to the library with me. I speak German to my dogs.  I'm not good at math. I speak English more than I speak German. I live in an area with a lot of Spanish speakers. I speak some Spanish but not much. My neighbors speak Spanish.
Speaker 2
I'm from Europe and i work on software. I'm living in US since 2004. I like to run and did a half marathon. I was in a band and I played drums. I'm burned out on being in a band. I have a black lab and a yellow lab. I didn't have a pet growing up. I would like to get more dogs. I think dogs are good listeners. My parents are from two different countries. I have lived in several different countries. I spent most of my time in France. I have attended university. I am familiar with the German language. I have lived in more than one country. I come from a multicultural and multilingual family--German and Spanish. I am trilingual. I learned English outside of the home. Spanish is my predominant language.
Speaker 1
I am getting to know my neighbors better.
Speaker 2
That is great! Do they also have children?
Speaker 1
Yes, they do! But they only speak Spanish, so it's hard to talk to them for very long.
Speaker 2
Very cool. Maybe I can teach you some Spanish so you can talk to your neighbors more
Speaker 1
That would be great! I would love to learn more about the language in an effort to connect more with my community.
Speaker 2
After I teach you some Spanish, maybe you can start teaching your kids Spanish so they can talk with the neighbors children.
Speaker 1
I'm sure they would love that too. I've seen them trying to break the language barrier through the fence a few times since we moved in. It's really interesting to see with them, especially since they're older!
Speaker 2
Wow that is great that your children are already taking initiative to try and communicate. Do your neighbors also have dogs? 
Speaker 1
I think they might, I've heard barking from that direction but haven't seen a dog outside yet.
Speaker 2
Maybe I can bring over my dogs one day and we all have a big puppy play date! 
Speaker 1
That would be so cute!
Speaker 2
I look forward to meeting your neighbors and speaking Spanish with them!
5 days 15 hours