What I wish I Knew BEFORE Learning Spanish

I spent a LONG time trying to learn Spanish before I actually got my sh*t together & did the damn thing. I tried & tried and failed & failed more times than I can count. And each time I learned a little more Spanish & a little more what NOT to do. Now I’m sharing everything I wish I knew before I started learning Spanish that would have made me progress more easily & quickly for you fellow Spanish learners😍

Always to be willing to learn, even if you think you already know

I was a very stubborn teenager when I started learning Spanish. I thought I knew everything I had already learned - let that sink in bit. What I didn’t realize is that just because I “learned” something, didn’t mean I actually “knew” it. I didn’t understand that it takes many, many times “learning” vocabulary or grammar to actually be able to use it in speaking & writing - I learned this as I struggled my way through learning to converse in Spanish after “learning” everything in my college Spanish classes.

You are responsible for your own success

Of course it helps to have an awesome teacher, but it won’t matter if YOU aren’t willing to take your learning into your own hands. The teacher is only a guide. The student is responsible for doing the learning and all the work that goes along with it. As soon as I realized this, I stopped looking for what my teachers were doing wrong that was keeping me from learning and started looking at what I could do to improve my ability to learn.

You and your teacher are a team

Expanding on that last one - I began taking my studies more seriously by spending more time, not just studying, but figuring out what I needed to learn better so that I could use my time with teachers more productively. Whether I was taking a class or going to tutoring, I started making sure I completed all my homework AND looked for ways I could improve and go more in-depth into my studies. I wrote down questions about grammar concepts I was still confused about, homework questions I wanted to discuss further, and brought these with me to class to ask my teacher.

This completely changed the way I learned language.

I no longer went to class waiting to “be taught” but instead ready to learn.

Biggest takeaways

I learned that language learning is about more than just learning vocabulary and grammar. It’s about more than taking classes and doing homework. It’s about YOU. It’s about learning who you are & how you learn and applying that to language learning. It’s a constant process of figuring out what works & what doesn’t, practicing speaking even when you’re nervous & uncomfortable, and constantly pushing yourself to do better than the last time.

You do this consistently until you’re happy with your level & progress, and you don’t stop until you achieve your goals❤