“Learn Spanish within 3 to 6 months in an easy and fun way”
It sounds pretty cool, right?
Likely, if you have started studying Spanish or any other language or you have been studying them for a while now, you must have realized that this promise is NOT TRUE.
So, because we are facing a new whole world or way of communication, a new mind map, as I like to call it.
A mind map?
Yes, it could be that many words are similar to our mother tongue, even some expressions or ways of communicating, but also they can be much more complicated or difficult to understand compared to our native language.
Have you ever wonder why we use ser and not estar, indefinido and not imperfecto, subjuntivo and not indicativo, etc?
→ Master ser and estar here
Because it is just a matter of perspectives, ways of understanding Spanish language, what is in our minds and what we want to communicate to others…
And, I’m afraid that understanding that, takes a bit of time.
That’s why we need to know that starting to learn Spanish is a process to figure out the new map of communication we are getting involved in.
We need to familiarise ourselves with the new grammar rules or ways of expressing ourselves too.
We need to get prepared to go through every stage, from excitement or even obsession with learning Spanish to frustration, incomprehension, shame or success.
And believe me, everyone goes through these stages at some point of our learning process.
If we are able to identify and to know what to do, we will achieve our goals with Spanish more easily.
There is also more…
¿Hablas bien español?
You can learn Spanish grammar or vocabulary quickly.
Yes, you can.
Maybe, you are fluent, but unfortunately, that doesn’t mean that you speak good Spanish.
During all my years as a Spanish teacher I have seen many students talking fluently who I could barely understand.
So fluency is not the most important thing at the end of the day.
If you lack basic grammar or you don’t practise regularly or have someone to solve your questions or correct your mistakes, even though you have studied a lot of grammar, it is possible that you don’t sound correct when talking in Spanish.
And that, in my opinion, is much worse than learning properly little by little.
Careful! This can make us give up!
You will see the improvements soon, you just need to be patient and not surrender!
How long is it going to take me to learn Spanish then?
That depends mainly on you. You are the person to ask if you are ready to start your process, what you want to achieve and picture yourself once you get your objectives.
But also, it depends on the method you use, how much you are surrounded by Spanish, the time you spend practising, etc.
What is clear is that learning Spanish in a short period of time can make you waste your time and sometimes, also your money.
Spanish Alter Ego
Nuria Juárez. Language teacher and language coach.