It’s one thing to learn another language. It’s another to learn that another language even exists and that real people actually speak it. We reach this understanding at such a young age that we often don’t remember how we ever learned about languages. It’s times like these that make interactions with children so fun—we get to experience what it’s like to see someone learn something new for the first time. 

What better place for a lesson in language exchange than Nicaragua? It was here that we met Alejandro, a curious and smart little boy, who learned through personal experience that not everyone speaks Spanish—and that English-speakers are somewhat mystifying. 

When we travel to Nicaragua, we typically stay with a family. As multiple family members all live next to each other, it creates a bustling environment as families gather together and children run everywhere. 

When we arrived at the house to start our month-long stay, Alejandro was so happy to have a visitor that he ran over to Douglas and blurted out something fast in Spanish. Of course, Douglas doesn’t speak Spanish.

“I don’t understand you,” Douglas said.

“No te entiendo,” Alejandro replied to him. I don’t understand you.

I laughed. But I was the only one laughing, because I was the only one who understood that both Douglas and Alejandro had expressed mutual lack of understanding in the exact same way, just in their respective languages. 

Alejandro, however, didn’t quite catch on that he didn’t understand Douglas. Not realizing that Douglas spoke English, I guess he thought he just couldn’t hear him that well. 

The next day we had a further conversation about language differences. Alejandro said something in Spanish to Douglas. Mustering up a sentence he knew very well, Douglas replied to him, “No hablo español.” I don’t speak Spanish. 

Even with his Spanish, Alejandro couldn’t understand him. “Que dijiste?” What did you say?

I jumped in to help. “Te dijo que no habla español.” He said that he doesn’t speak Spanish.

Alejandro struggled to understand. “Pero yo sí hablo español.” But I do speak Spanish. The line of reasoning seemed to go, but if I speak Spanish, then why would Douglas speak to me in some other language?

I filled him in on the details. “Pero él no habla español. En los Estados Unidos, donde vivimos, se habla inglés.” But he doesn’t speak Spanish. In the United States, where we live, English is spoken.

Now Alejandro got it. Kind of.

“Pero, te entiendo,” he said to me. But, I understand you.

Something didn’t quite add up. If we were from the United States, where we speak English, then now it made sense why he can’t talk to Douglas. But then why did he understand me, who is also from the US?

It was simply too complicated to understand. Alejandro bounced out of the room. 

But he did not stop thinking about how to understand this language problem. Several hours later, we were with the church family, preparing an area for an aquaponics system. As we stopped for a break to have some fresh coconut water, Alejandro asked me, “Cómo lo entiendes si habla inglés?” How do you understand him if he speaks English? 

Everyone laughed. Except for Douglas, who had no idea what he just said. 

I told him that I also speak English, but he definitely didn’t believe me. In his world, there had only been one option—Spanish— up until a few hours ago when he met someone who actually speaks English. The thought that someone could speak two different languages seemed a bit too incredible. 

A year later, his perspective changed. When we saw him again, he came over to greet us. 

“Ho—“ he started to greet me with an hola in Spanish. But then he remembered: this person speaks English. In a serious and controlled tone, he started over: “Hello,” he said. 

“Hello! How are you?” I asked. No response. Then, he began his next line of English: “One, two, three, four, five…” he counted all the way to ten. Because that’s how you have a good conversation in English— a greeting followed by counting the numbers. 

We praised his efforts and tried teaching him to say eleven, twelve, and thirteen, but he was already moving on to the next most interesting thing, chasing the dog. But that was fine. There’s still plenty of time to learn English.