Getting by with just English is very difficult in Ecuador. If you try to speak in English you just get blank stares. When we first arrived we met Nancy and Elsa who spoke almost no English, so communicating was very difficult with our limited Spanish. Our communication became charades and random English and Spanish words. My brother and I felt really awkward during meals because we didn't want to be rude and speak English to each other but didn't have enough Spanish to carry on a real conversation so we would just ask what the Spanish words were for everything we ate or touched. When the daughters returned a couple days later it was a bit easier because they spokes some English and could help translate.
For me the language barrier is my biggest struggle, it's really frustrating when you don't know what someone is saying or how to communicate something. We arrived four days before we started school and actually wished we had started right away so we could communicate better. My brother is one of the most outgoing people I know and not being able to talk to anyone is especially hard for him. Once he learned "Hola" and "Buenos Dias" he would walk down the street saying it to everyone he met. Although if they say anything back, he'd just give them a confused look.
We started school three days ago and what a difference it has made to what we can understand and say. I took some Spanish classes before coming but I can't believe how much quicker I'm picking up the language through classes and living here. My brother and I have unconsciously started speaking Spanglish. When talking with each other or even friends and family on Skype we will intermix English words with Spanish words. We definitely have a long way to go but at least we're starting to understand some of the conversations.
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