5 common fears that Spanish learners face

I was 45 when I first started learning spanish in San Diego California. I was living in Tijuana Mexico as I had just started a factory down there. Since 95% of my employees only spoke spanish I really wanted to learn. I took 4 years of spanish classes passing through 4 levels numerous times as I would forget everything as soon as I walked out the door. After 4 years in classes I almost gave up as I thought I was one of the people who could never learn a foreign language. I had a very limited vocabulary and could barely understand anything when a native spanish speaker would talk to me. One night I went to a bar in Tijuana called Como que No which was frequented by only locals (I was the only Gringo in the place) and met a cute Mexican girl who knew not a word of English. With much fumbling around and horrible conversation I somehow got her number. With much fear I called her at her work and asked her out on a date (I had one of my workers help me script a conversation on paper and I was scared to death she would go off script, but she didn't thank god). The date ended with her telling me she wanted to be married in a white dress which I barely understood. In my almost undecipherable spanish I told her no problem, there were many white dresses to buy. We had a great time and started dating 3 to 5 times a week and she would very patiently help me with my spanish at the restaurants we went to. I noticed my spanish improving tremendously fast and soon discovered the meaning of here first statement in wanting to get married in a white dress. Yes, she was the only remaining 29 year old virgin in Tijuana and being a normal American, this did not set to well. I kept going out with her while trying to change her mind but to no avail. After 8 months of dating constantly I had had enough of this and broke it off with her. I stayed with it so long because my spanish was improving so much and so rapidly compared to the 4 years in school. The day after I broke it off with her she called me at my office and said "estoy listo", I responded "listo para que?". She responded "para tener sexo contigo". I responded " Lo siento Teresa, es muy tarde" and I said goodbye and hung up. So, the moral to this long story is if you want to learn spanish fast, find a non english speaking significant other and you will master it within 6 to 8 months. Now when I moved to the DR back in 2007 I had to learn spanish over again a little as the words, accents and customs are quite different from Mexico but at least there was a lot of willing teachers here in the DR to help me in the transition. Saludos todos

I understand. In the past pre 1990 I was quite good at five languages E nglish,French,Cree,Japanese and Spanish.
Then 20 years of english only.
Then a stroke.
Now English and a smidgen of Spanish. (Spanglish) ... I learn one new work a day and try to fit into my conversations. But the amazing thing is that I read pretty good with Spanish.
I have found that the older one gets the more difficult it becomes to learn a new language. By the way Cree and Japanese are quite simular. I think about 50 words alike.

Your experience supports up mine. I was taught French in school and for the most part that was a dismal failure. It was difficult to grasp the formal conjugation of verbs and sentence structure for various tenses from a book and classroom work an hour a day. It was out in the real world where success depended on getting your meaning across no matter how correct it is. Using a language everyday in real world situations and especially at home if possible is the key to success for many.

When I make a mistake here in the DR and someone scrunches up their face as if in pain, I try again until I am understood and then ask how I should have said it in Spanish. That's how I learn, not so much from an understanding of the vocabulary and the conjugation of the verbs but by remembering the experiences where I have had to say the same thing before. Of course the does not help at all with reading a foreign language.

I practice at home by speaking Spanish to my dogs. I think they get a kick out of being asked to set the table for dinner thinking they are about to feast again. Unfortunately, when they scrunch up their muzzles and tilt their head to one side in non-comprehension, they offer little in the way of corrective feedback. Maybe that's why I get a lot of funny looks when I am out and about - "Eres un niño/niña tan lindo, ¿te gustaría una galleta?" might not be the best greeting to use in most social situations.

In the 70's , I was perfectly bilingual - Eng/French....
I mean really good.

Time passed and I started to learn Spanish....moving here

seems my head (although large) can only retain so much

French was forced out - not enough Spanish came in

william webster said:

In the 70's , I was perfectly bilingual - Eng/French....
I mean really good.

Time passed and I started to learn Spanish....moving here

seems my head (although large) can only retain so much

French was forced out - not enough Spanish came in

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 Bill, A real testament to your language learning ability would be to place you in a bar in downtown St. John’s on a Friday night and see if your able to decipher the language spoken by many Newfoundlanders. I’m betting after a few glasses of dark rum you would fit right in. Lol! During my winter stays in the DR I become fairly conversant in basic Español but I tend to lose it as I return home for the summer. My French language abilities fell by the wayside years ago. I travel to St.Pierre, a French island off our coast, every now and then. The basics come back quickly but I find myself resorting to Español at times instead of French. At my age I only have so much gray matter left that’s not rum soaked and still capable of deciphering and remembering languages. 

I know the problem.....

And drunk Newfies would be a challenge!!

One day you’ll explain St Pierre et Miquelon to these folks.
A piece of French culture in the Atlantic 

Studies show that learning a language in the ‘latter’ years is good for your head.

Our neighbor in NYC , Mrs Lowenstein, took up Spanish at 100

william webster said:

I know the problem....  And drunk Newfies would be a challenge!!

One day you’ll explain St Pierre et Miquelon to these folks

Click to expand...

A piece of French territory and culture in the Atlantic 12 miles off our coast. A concession the Brits made to the French so they would have a home base for their Grand Banks fishing fleet. A place to refuel, resupply, and relax (prostitution). Gendarmes, Renault’s, Citroen’s, excellent French cuisine, etc. As close to France as you can get without crossing the big pond. The island governor is appointed by the French President. Now closely linked to Newfoundland because of intermarriage. Al Capone’s hangout during the Prohibition Years. He always stayed in Hotel Robert down on the waterfront. I always stay there. Alcool, the French equivalent of moonshine is still smuggled off the island to Newfoundland. Wicked stuff!

Yes Marianopolita, you're absolutely correct. My girlfriend took great pains to teach me all the right way to say things and it was that one on one constant help that finally gave me the breakthrough I needed to master the language. I almost broke up with her many times but I realized that I was advancing my spanish incredibly and so hung in there even though it was very painful. With her help I was able to overcome my fear of speaking with native spanish speakers and once that happened everything just opened up. I highly recommend this route as the fastest way to learn a foreign language. Would love to learn French but my Dominican Wife would never stand for it... hahaha

Spanish for me is....
much easier than Dutch, Hungarian, Thai or Khmer.

Put little "post-it" notes on everything in the house. It doesn't give you pronunciation or writing skills at all, but that's what your pointer finger is for if you're that desperate. If you can't roll your "R's, just pronounce them as a "d". That seems to help beginners. There are at least 50 words that translate directly with the English if that's easier for you.

Been learning spanish for 15 years. Took formal training and studied hard by myself. I still make mistakes and I am not fluent but maintain an above average handling of the language. 

  I am not 100% fluent in english either You will realize this if you read a lot of books.

 The hardest thing for me was to be kind to myself and allow myself to make mistakes without getting angry.

It's self explanatory.
Cado, badio, Madianopolita