I’ve seen this brushed aside a few times with the assumption that Nile would only have extremely basic levels of Spanish and French. Or choosing to ignore it because it’s from supplemental materials and going with the monoglot Murcan stereotype. (There are 40 languages spoken in Chicago btw). While the fandom has grabbed onto and accepted as canon other points of information that appeal to them
Nile is from Chicago. There are roughly half a million primary Spanish speakers in the city
Comic!Nile is a hustling millennial who has had a lot of jobs. Including service jobs, where she could have had a lot of opportunities to practice her spoken Spanish
She would have had lifelong opportunities for immersive Spanish learning
If she had a Rodin phase I’d put 500 on her having a Kahlo phase. Baby Nile was biking over to Pilsen and Humboldt Park to check out the Mexican and Puerto Rican murals, the (free entry) National Museum of Mexican Art and National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture
There are Dual Language Education Programs (Spanish and English) in some public elementary schools in Chicago, including Nile’s area and magnet schools
Even if she picked up French in High School, if Nile was already proficient in Spanish it would have been relatively easy to learn another Romance language
Nile is canonically so smart. She could have been crushing AP French in a magnet school
She loves Rodin and Fine Art. I will also bet 500 that she idolises the France that welcomed Josephine Baker and so many other Black artists
The desire to swan around the Musée d'Orsay and the Louvre and sketch while drinking coffee/wine in a Parisian café like a local is a powerful motivator to master whether to use l'Imparfait or passé composé or plus-que-parfait
France is excellent at marketing it’s Culture™ and teenagers are particularly susceptible to catching Francophilia
There is an abundance of French media widely available. Especially for a millennial who knew their way around L*mewire and the P*rate Bay
I’m saying, Nile is not immune to Amélie
Also, languages are extremely marketable skills
Even if Nile was getting great grades all round in magnet schools that still wouldn’t guarantee her a full scholarship to the colleges of her choice. And it wouldn’t help with her brothers tuition either. Joining up could still have been the most practical way to her mind to get herself through college and help take care of her brother financially.
Because of military recruiting tactics Nile probably would have had plenty of opportunities to practice her Spanish while enlisted as well.
tldr: we’ve been told that Nile speaks English, Spanish and French. We have no reason to dispute that
gummygunk
romaincrisis
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