Final Thoughts

With just five days before I make my way back to the United States, I thought I would take some time to reflect on what I have accomplished, what I missed out on, and what I would and would not change about my journey.

First of all, I have to say I don't regret anything about this trip.  Even with the things that didn't quite work out the way I had hoped, I still feel accomplished in the sense that I was able to make this trip all on my own, and every step of the way was a learning experience.

My primary goal was simply to spend as much time speaking the Spanish language as I could.  In that regard, I did not speak as much as I had hoped, and that was my own fault for not engaging more people in conversation.  It turns out being shy travels with you to foreign countries.  That being said, I am proud of the few brief conversations I did have.  I realized that I can maintain a conversation with any Spanish speaking person out there, and while I may not know every possible word in the Spanish dictionary, I know how to move along without killing the entire conversation.  What can I take away from this?  Well, I have been inspired to talk more with my friends and colleagues back home who do speak Spanish.  Now that I know I can do it here in Spain, I have no reason not to continue practicing in the US.

As far as being a member of the community, well that was difficult as I was staying in a neighborhood full of a variety of ethnicity's that weren't Spanish.  I heard many different languages throughout my stay, and I certainly don't regret staying here, but unfortunately, it kind of hampered my progress more than it helped.  I saw basically all the major sites I wanted to see, but I avoided restaurants which was my own personal choice.  Mostly the problem was that locally, all the restaurants served Indian food, not authentic Spanish dishes.  I felt uncomfortable eating alone, so I basically bought all my meals at the supermarket and ate in the apartment.

So what would I change about this adventure?  Well, next time, I would like to have a travel partner.  I specifically did not want anyone here with me this time, as I needed to be able to survive on my own for a month, but now that I have done it, I think it would be nice to have someone come along with me.  I would still insist on the Spanish only rule, but it would make it easier to do some of the social things I missed out on this time around.  Also, I don't think I would choose to stay an entire month unless I could plan a lot more to do.  I felt a month was important this time around as I needed to have a time of adjustment before I could really dive in.  Now that I know what to expect, two to three weeks would be plenty.

I think Madrid is beautiful and I could certainly see myself staying here again, but it might also be nice to see other parts of the country.  Again, my purpose was more to practice talking than it was to go exploring, but now that I have dipped my toes in the water, it might be fun to see other places.

So did I have to spend a month in a foreign country in order to perfect my use of the language?  Of course not, and I knew that all along.  I was curious to see how my level would progress and I do think that despite my hesitation, I have picked up a bit here and there simply by listening to how others speak.  One thing I have learned about my Spanish is that I clearly understand Latin American Spanish better than the Spanish spoken here in Spain.  In fact, that might be one reason to be hesitant to travel to other parts of the country, as other regions have their own distinct accents.  Since I don't think I'll be returning anytime too soon, I am content knowing I have a firm grasp on Latin American Spanish.  That will obviously be more beneficial to me at home.

I'm ready to go home, but I am certainly happy, and more importantly, proud with all I have seen and done.  I imagine my next post will be coming to you from the United States.  Talk to you soon.

Why It's Harder To Learn Spanish In Spain

So I have been in Madrid for two weeks now, and I finally feel as if I'm settling in.  Nice to know I am finally comfortable, halfway through my trip.  That being said, one thing I think I have learned in my time here is that, for me at least, practicing Spanish has actually been harder and even less productive than when I am home in the U.S.  "How can that be?" you ask.  Well, let me try to explain.

First of all, I arrived in Spain on a Friday morning and I hit the ground running.  I was excited, terrified, and exhausted all at once.  I had never been to a foreign country, and to be honest, even my experiences in big cities in the U.S. were limited, so to find myself on a subway, chugging away under the streets of Madrid all by myself was exhilarating and terrifying all at once.  I found my way to my host's apartment, unpacked, and hit the streets, hoping every stranger on the street would stop to chat.  Well, that wasn't the case.  In fact, I was nervous to be walking around all alone.  I didn't know anything or anyone and I wasn't even sure I could find my way back to the apartment if I strayed too far.  My first few days here were a blur and once my vision cleared, I realized not only had I not spoken very much Spanish, I hadn't spoken much at all.

After getting myself quite lost one afternoon, I decided I had better head home, regroup, and plan things out a little better.  I realized I had locked myself into a defensive mindset.  I was constantly on edge, worried I would get lost or say or do the wrong thing.  Instinctively, my brain locked me into English.  I wasn't consciously aware of it, but I wasn't allowing myself to think in Spanish.  I think I have said it before, but for me, speaking in Spanish is like flipping a switch in my brain.  Sometimes it is very easy to switch between languages, and other times, it takes quite a bit of effort.  Since I realized the trouble I was having, the switch has been easier to flip, but I am still reverting to English too quickly.

I have two more weeks here and I am hoping I can be more diligent in thinking and then speaking in Spanish.  I know I can do it, but it has to be done consciously.  I know being out of my comfort zone has had an impact on my abilities and I am hopeful when I return to the U.S. I'll be more comfortable using the language.  We'll see. Do you think stress plays a significant role in our language learning?  I think I would have to say yes to that.  Thoughts or comments?

Use It Or Lose It?

Sometimes I worry that if I don't spend every waking moment of my life thinking in Spanish instead of my native English, I will quickly lose the ability to speak even the most basic phrases and my upcoming trip to Spain will not only be a huge failure, but also extremely frustrating.  Then, I stop and tell myself to be rational and I ease my own fears.

I have been studying Spanish since 2008 and that doesn't count what I learned in school between 1996 and 2004.  Sure, if I were to stop speaking Spanish entirely I would most certainly lose the ability to speak it as well as I do now, but it's silly to think that counting to five in English instead of in Spanish is detrimental to my progress.  I suppose I have been this way with all of my hobbies throughout my life, but I think the important thing for me to realize here is that Spanish is becoming a way of life for me, not just a hobby.  Sure, there are days when I feel like I can't even recall how to say cat and dog in Spanish, but then there are the days where I feel almost more comfortable using Spanish than I do using English.  By practicing just a little bit every day, I retain the information without burning out my brain.  I am getting used to the idea that I can switch between the two languages fairly easily and my hopes are that after spending four weeks in Madrid I will come home much more comfortable speaking in Spanish conversationally.  I don't expect to come home necessarily knowing any more of the language than I already do, rather I simply seek the confidence to speak more freely and without as much hesitation.

Of course I fear that once I return, life will slowly go back to the way it was and I will not use Spanish nearly as much as I would like.  My hopes are that by gaining the confidence to speak more openly, it will open new doors for me and present me with new chances to use the language on a day to day basis.  Once you've found yourself comfortable with your new language, what do you do to maintain it?  If you're not 100% immersed in the language, what ways do you study to keep it sharp in your mind?  I'd love to her thoughts on this.  Let me know!