So I finally had the guts to go ahead and make public my YouTube channel. My hopes are to better my Spanish speaking abilities, inspire others to improve their own spoken abilities in foreign languages, and to go forward in learning other languages, as deep down I have always wanted to speak more than just Spanish and English.
I'm hoping to find more people interested in reading my blog here and hopefully interested in offering their own stories and advice here, or on Facebook, or wherever we can find a forum to express ourselves.
I've been nervous abut posting videos of myself for some time. It's quite a bit scarier than posting a blog. Suddenly my face is out there for everyone to see and all my mistakes are a lot more obvious. I still have to record and post my first official video, as what I posted today was only an introduction. I would like to post weekly and focus on topics that pertain to how language learning benefits us. I'm not so interested in learning grammar or focusing on vocabulary, there are plenty of sites for that. Here, I want to just talk about how languages effect us all and hopefully I can build a following based on that premise. My videos, at least right now, are very basic as I really don't know much about editing, but hopefully that too ill improve over time.
I'd love to hear your thoughts here on how I can best offer an entertaining channel while at the same time improving my own speaking ability. (Of course I will be speaking in both English and Spanish. I want everyone to be able to follow along.)
OK, that's it here for now, but hopefully the comments will start rolling in soon. Hasta luego!
Showing posts with label taking chances. Show all posts
Showing posts with label taking chances. Show all posts
Monday, April 17, 2017
Saturday, May 28, 2016
What Voice Do We Listen To?
One of the biggest boosts in confidence I have had when it comes to speaking Spanish is social media. Ever since I started dedicating my time to improving my Spanish, I have tried to use social media as a way to boost my confidence and give me the kick I needed to keep going when the going got tough. I have discovered websites, such as The Mixxer that offer free search engines to reach out to other language learners and in turn we are able to use tools such as Skype to set up intercambios where we can take turns practicing our second or even third languages.
I have found Facebook groups who love to discuss learning Spanish, and countless YouTube videos that offer lessons and advice on how to improve your language skills. All in all, I have found that reaching out to others is a great way to find the inspiration, motivation, and confidence to push on when I find myself in a rut. Unfortunately, there are also negative aspects of social media. There are those who find pleasure in bringing others down. Instead of inspiring, they discourage, ridicule, and belittle those that are seeking positive reinforcement. Fortunately for me, I have not come across all that many of these individuals, although I have heard plenty of stories from others. I do my best to ignore those who thrive on negative energy, and when I do stumble across someone who wants to bring me down, I find ways to ignore and avoid that person.
All that being said, there is one voice I have found that is nearly impossible to ignore. Despite my very best efforts, there seems to always be a way for this one voice to get to me. That voice is the voice inside my head, and I have discovered recently that I am not the only one affected by my own worst thoughts. My point in mentioning social media before introducing this topic was that it was on Facebook that I discovered just how overpowering ones inner voice can be, even when surrounded by positive energy. While I have found encouragement from others to be a great motivator, sometimes all the encouragement in the world won't help if you allow your inner thoughts to bring you down. I have seen posts from individuals who have nothing but negative things to say about themselves. Despite all the encouragement the other members of the group try to offer, there seems to be no hope in changing their negative self outlook. It bothers me greatly to see this, as the only person standing in their way from excelling is themselves. I have learned from my own experience, we are our own worst critic. If we allow ourselves to accept our own criticisms, we will never be able to advance. Yes, it takes confidence to go out there and speak in a foreign language, but we have to overcome our own insecurities, our own self doubt, and take a very scary leap forward. Yes, it's frightening, but we can all do it. This was something I had to teach myself, but I also owe a lot of thanks to those who encouraged me along the way.
So, in the end, don't be afraid to reach out to those on social media for encouragement, but more importantly, don't be afraid to be your own positive motivator. Don't let your inner voice scare you. Challenge yourself and be positive. Negative thoughts will get you nowhere. Who's with me?
I have found Facebook groups who love to discuss learning Spanish, and countless YouTube videos that offer lessons and advice on how to improve your language skills. All in all, I have found that reaching out to others is a great way to find the inspiration, motivation, and confidence to push on when I find myself in a rut. Unfortunately, there are also negative aspects of social media. There are those who find pleasure in bringing others down. Instead of inspiring, they discourage, ridicule, and belittle those that are seeking positive reinforcement. Fortunately for me, I have not come across all that many of these individuals, although I have heard plenty of stories from others. I do my best to ignore those who thrive on negative energy, and when I do stumble across someone who wants to bring me down, I find ways to ignore and avoid that person.
All that being said, there is one voice I have found that is nearly impossible to ignore. Despite my very best efforts, there seems to always be a way for this one voice to get to me. That voice is the voice inside my head, and I have discovered recently that I am not the only one affected by my own worst thoughts. My point in mentioning social media before introducing this topic was that it was on Facebook that I discovered just how overpowering ones inner voice can be, even when surrounded by positive energy. While I have found encouragement from others to be a great motivator, sometimes all the encouragement in the world won't help if you allow your inner thoughts to bring you down. I have seen posts from individuals who have nothing but negative things to say about themselves. Despite all the encouragement the other members of the group try to offer, there seems to be no hope in changing their negative self outlook. It bothers me greatly to see this, as the only person standing in their way from excelling is themselves. I have learned from my own experience, we are our own worst critic. If we allow ourselves to accept our own criticisms, we will never be able to advance. Yes, it takes confidence to go out there and speak in a foreign language, but we have to overcome our own insecurities, our own self doubt, and take a very scary leap forward. Yes, it's frightening, but we can all do it. This was something I had to teach myself, but I also owe a lot of thanks to those who encouraged me along the way.
So, in the end, don't be afraid to reach out to those on social media for encouragement, but more importantly, don't be afraid to be your own positive motivator. Don't let your inner voice scare you. Challenge yourself and be positive. Negative thoughts will get you nowhere. Who's with me?
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
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?
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?
Saturday, August 23, 2014
What's There To Be Afraid Of?
I went to dinner with two of my best friends the other night and was introduced for the first time to one of their girlfriends. Normally, this isn't much of a big deal to me, but it just so happened that this young woman was originally from Ecuador, recently spent two months in Madrid, and obviously spoke fluent Spanish in a way that would have made me sound like a four year old boy trying to form complete sentences.
Initially, I saw this as an opportunity to really practice my Spanish conversational skills, but with each passing minute in which I spoke English, the idea of switching to Spanish drifted farther and farther from my mind. When we all parted ways that evening I offered to spend the next time we got together speaking in Spanish, but once I got home I realized how much of an opportunity I had just wasted. Why was I so shy about speaking to a native Spanish speaker? Was it because I was surrounded by two English speaking friends? Did I think she would laugh at me or was I worried that I would say something completely ridiculous, or worse, offensive? Honestly, I think it was all of the above. I have always had a difficult time using Spanish with someone I know speaks English as well. In addition, since none of my friends speak anything but English, I feel silly offering to say things in Spanish when they won't understand anyway. Sure, it might have made for a good laugh to carry on a faux conversation with her for a few moments while my friends listened in, but would it have served me well or just been a silly party trick? I guess I can't really answer that as I didn't even take the shot.
So what's the solution? I am leaving for Madrid in 250 days with the intention of spending every waking moment using Spanish, or at the very least, avoiding English at all costs. Will being surrounded by only Spanish speaking people finally push me to the point that I am not afraid to speak? More importantly, even if all goes well in Spain, will I have the confidence to continue using it when I return home? I would hate to spend a month in a foreign country only to lose my skills upon returning home.
I know I really should just get over it. No one is going to laugh at me, and honestly, they should be impressed, even if they don't know what I'm saying. Going to Spain surely is a way to force myself to use the language but perhaps it's time to find other ways to force myself into using it. I think the most important part in speaking successfully in a foreign language is simply having the confidence to do it. For me, confidence comes and goes in waves. Hopefully I can find a solution that brings me to the crest of one of those waves and keeps me there for at least a little while.
Thoughts and suggestions are always appreciated! Good luck!
Initially, I saw this as an opportunity to really practice my Spanish conversational skills, but with each passing minute in which I spoke English, the idea of switching to Spanish drifted farther and farther from my mind. When we all parted ways that evening I offered to spend the next time we got together speaking in Spanish, but once I got home I realized how much of an opportunity I had just wasted. Why was I so shy about speaking to a native Spanish speaker? Was it because I was surrounded by two English speaking friends? Did I think she would laugh at me or was I worried that I would say something completely ridiculous, or worse, offensive? Honestly, I think it was all of the above. I have always had a difficult time using Spanish with someone I know speaks English as well. In addition, since none of my friends speak anything but English, I feel silly offering to say things in Spanish when they won't understand anyway. Sure, it might have made for a good laugh to carry on a faux conversation with her for a few moments while my friends listened in, but would it have served me well or just been a silly party trick? I guess I can't really answer that as I didn't even take the shot.
So what's the solution? I am leaving for Madrid in 250 days with the intention of spending every waking moment using Spanish, or at the very least, avoiding English at all costs. Will being surrounded by only Spanish speaking people finally push me to the point that I am not afraid to speak? More importantly, even if all goes well in Spain, will I have the confidence to continue using it when I return home? I would hate to spend a month in a foreign country only to lose my skills upon returning home.
I know I really should just get over it. No one is going to laugh at me, and honestly, they should be impressed, even if they don't know what I'm saying. Going to Spain surely is a way to force myself to use the language but perhaps it's time to find other ways to force myself into using it. I think the most important part in speaking successfully in a foreign language is simply having the confidence to do it. For me, confidence comes and goes in waves. Hopefully I can find a solution that brings me to the crest of one of those waves and keeps me there for at least a little while.
Thoughts and suggestions are always appreciated! Good luck!
Friday, August 8, 2014
Buying The Ticket
I have officially purchased all of the major items I need in order to take my trip to Spain. I have my passport, I rented a room, and just this week, I bought my ticket. Now I just have to wait the eight months before I can fly out.
Just like learning Spanish, planning for this trip was a step by step process, and I think without the experience I have had with learning Spanish, I may have never made it this far. I think we all have dreams and fantasies of the life experiences we want to have, but few of us manage to fulfill all of these dreams simply because we lack planning. Now, to be fair, I have always been keen on making lists and setting dates for when I want to accomplish my goals, but one thing I have learned is that a list alone won't do it. Sure, it's helpful to have a guide, but it's only as effective as the person who carries out the steps. All too often I have become impatient and wanted to move forward too quickly and I think this was the cause of many of my early failures. I have found that there needs to be a balance between giving yourself adequate time to progress versus simply waiting too long and letting opportunities pass you by. Planning out my trip to Spain has been a learning process, and thankfully I have had help along the way in planning it all out. Without some assistance, I think it would have fallen apart just like many of my other ideas.
I had set a goal of purchasing the plane ticket in October. I was hoping by then the prices would be low and I would have saved ample cash to go ahead and buy it. Of course, October was still months away when I set that goal and I watched as the prices fluctuated up and down. Sure, I was hoping to find a great deal, but from the very beginning of planning this trip I had an idea in mind of what the ticket was going to cost me. Well, just this week the prices went up and down like crazy and I finally decided I had to jump at the opportunity. The price was actually a bit lower than I had planned on spending, but slightly higher than I had seen it previously. Well, I couldn't make any more excuses. Waiting until October was just another chance to fail in my trip. Buying the ticket this week would solidify my trip and finally make this dream of mine reality. And a reality it now is.
Originally, the trip was planned for May of 2016, not 2015. In my mind, I needed two years to prepare myself both psychologically and financially to go across the sea, when in truth, two years simply gave me enough time to find excuses not to take the trip. A lot can happen in two years and it would have been very easy to use any little event to discourage me from going. A year of planning is a safe goal. It makes saving enough money a realistic possibility while at the same time keeping the idea fresh in your mind so you don't lose your motivation to go. Now that it's official, I am aching to set sail! Buying the ticket was another part of the process that took careful planning and making the right choice as to when to buy.
Balancing our steps isn't always easy, but it's necessary in order to succeed. I think I found the right balance of being patient and still moving forward and thanks to my discovery, my dream of traveling to Spain is now going to be a reality!
Just like learning Spanish, planning for this trip was a step by step process, and I think without the experience I have had with learning Spanish, I may have never made it this far. I think we all have dreams and fantasies of the life experiences we want to have, but few of us manage to fulfill all of these dreams simply because we lack planning. Now, to be fair, I have always been keen on making lists and setting dates for when I want to accomplish my goals, but one thing I have learned is that a list alone won't do it. Sure, it's helpful to have a guide, but it's only as effective as the person who carries out the steps. All too often I have become impatient and wanted to move forward too quickly and I think this was the cause of many of my early failures. I have found that there needs to be a balance between giving yourself adequate time to progress versus simply waiting too long and letting opportunities pass you by. Planning out my trip to Spain has been a learning process, and thankfully I have had help along the way in planning it all out. Without some assistance, I think it would have fallen apart just like many of my other ideas.
I had set a goal of purchasing the plane ticket in October. I was hoping by then the prices would be low and I would have saved ample cash to go ahead and buy it. Of course, October was still months away when I set that goal and I watched as the prices fluctuated up and down. Sure, I was hoping to find a great deal, but from the very beginning of planning this trip I had an idea in mind of what the ticket was going to cost me. Well, just this week the prices went up and down like crazy and I finally decided I had to jump at the opportunity. The price was actually a bit lower than I had planned on spending, but slightly higher than I had seen it previously. Well, I couldn't make any more excuses. Waiting until October was just another chance to fail in my trip. Buying the ticket this week would solidify my trip and finally make this dream of mine reality. And a reality it now is.
Originally, the trip was planned for May of 2016, not 2015. In my mind, I needed two years to prepare myself both psychologically and financially to go across the sea, when in truth, two years simply gave me enough time to find excuses not to take the trip. A lot can happen in two years and it would have been very easy to use any little event to discourage me from going. A year of planning is a safe goal. It makes saving enough money a realistic possibility while at the same time keeping the idea fresh in your mind so you don't lose your motivation to go. Now that it's official, I am aching to set sail! Buying the ticket was another part of the process that took careful planning and making the right choice as to when to buy.
Balancing our steps isn't always easy, but it's necessary in order to succeed. I think I found the right balance of being patient and still moving forward and thanks to my discovery, my dream of traveling to Spain is now going to be a reality!
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Overcoming It
Despite my recently discovered courage to try new things and take on new adventures, I still have plenty of moments of doubt and fear. Just yesterday, for reasons unknown, I started to panic and think about all the negative things that could happen to me during my trip to Spain. Thoughts of being robbed, getting lost, or simply being absolutely miserable crept into my mind and I started asking myself why I was planning this trip in the first place. It's going to cost me a lot of money. It could even potentially cost me my job if I am not careful. What if I come back and have no job, no money left over, and suddenly no place to live? All of these thoughts were charging through my brain and I began to wonder if it was all worthwhile. I have lived comfortably and safely for thirty-three years. I wake up in a safe bed every morning, I drive my little car to my simple job, and I earn a paycheck that lets me spend lazy Saturdays at Starbucks or occasionally see a Thursday night movie with friends. That's not so bad, right? That's a pretty calm and comfortable life, free of worry or panic. No reason to complain, right? WRONG.
For far too long I have convinced myself that safer is better and I allowed my fear of the world to keep me locked away in my tight little bubble. Sure, I had my friends and family to keep me company but even my friends have traveled a bit, even if only within the confines of The United States. Two of my siblings have traveled abroad and my youngest brother has been to the West Coast. I have only traveled as far as Florida and to be honest, I didn't really take advantage of my time there. Spending a month in Spain is going to be incredible. Even if it rains every day, I will find new things, new places, new opportunities to be an entirely different person and see the world from an entirely new angle. If I continue to allow my subconscious to control my actions, I will never experience life. I want to live, not just be alive!
Were it not for speaking Spanish I probably would have allowed my brain to prevent me from ever traveling anywhere in the world. I am thankful that my obsession for speaking a second language has granted me the confidence to take chances in my life. Sure, there is still that fear that I will get to Spain and my brain will freeze and suddenly all that vocabulary I have studied will be for nothing, but I have to overcome this ridiculous notion and have confidence in my abilities. I have to have confidence in myself! We all have fears but we all have the ability to conquer our fears as well. What fears are you overcoming to better your life? Is language learning a part of that? Let me know and we can talk soon!
Also, if you like my blog, maybe you could check this out!
For far too long I have convinced myself that safer is better and I allowed my fear of the world to keep me locked away in my tight little bubble. Sure, I had my friends and family to keep me company but even my friends have traveled a bit, even if only within the confines of The United States. Two of my siblings have traveled abroad and my youngest brother has been to the West Coast. I have only traveled as far as Florida and to be honest, I didn't really take advantage of my time there. Spending a month in Spain is going to be incredible. Even if it rains every day, I will find new things, new places, new opportunities to be an entirely different person and see the world from an entirely new angle. If I continue to allow my subconscious to control my actions, I will never experience life. I want to live, not just be alive!
Were it not for speaking Spanish I probably would have allowed my brain to prevent me from ever traveling anywhere in the world. I am thankful that my obsession for speaking a second language has granted me the confidence to take chances in my life. Sure, there is still that fear that I will get to Spain and my brain will freeze and suddenly all that vocabulary I have studied will be for nothing, but I have to overcome this ridiculous notion and have confidence in my abilities. I have to have confidence in myself! We all have fears but we all have the ability to conquer our fears as well. What fears are you overcoming to better your life? Is language learning a part of that? Let me know and we can talk soon!
Also, if you like my blog, maybe you could check this out!
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Jumping In The Deep End
Officially, I've been studying Spanish since the Summer of 2008, but I have been surrounded by the language nearly my whole life. I took classes in high school and even before that I always had access to Spanish television on cable. I worked with Spanish speakers in my very first job and it was here that my passion for the language developed but when I look back on my early days of working, I see how many opportunities I really missed because I was too timid to talk.
Even to this day, confidence plays a huge role in being able to speak Spanish. I often realize, sometimes too late, that I actually know more than I give myself credit for and will many times shy away from speaking not because I don't know how to say something, but because there is that lingering doubt that maybe, just maybe, I'm not going to say the right thing. Fear in language learning is a silly thing and I attribute a great deal of the fear we feel to the way we are taught languages in school. Like every other subject we face, our language classes are based on a pass/fail grading system. I may very well have been able to carry on a conversation with ease even as far back as my days in high school, but because I was constantly being graded on using the correct verb tense or placing the accent mark over the proper vowel, my overall score wasn't nearly as high as I would have liked and it made me feel as if I wasn't successful in learning. This "failure" at learning left me feeling like I didn't really know the language and for that I didn't want to sound silly attempting to talk to native speakers. Although I may not know the solution to how we can improve our language learning classes, I will say that the way it is done now is simply not effective.
If I had the chance to go back and talk to my teenage self, I would tell myself to just talk. Jump right in and speak. Don't be afraid to use the present tense instead of the preterit, and don't worry if you use the "tu" form instead of the "usted" form. Sure, foreign language can be intimidating, but we can't just dip our toes in the water and hope for the best. If we're going to be successful, we need to jump in the deep end right from the start and learn to swim as we go. I've read countless forum posts debating the value of studying grammar first or memorizing hundreds of vocabulary words before ever uttering your first phrase. Now, I suppose if you're learning a foreign language for academic reasons, then by all means, study that grammar, but if you're like me, trying to simply learn how to talk to other people, who cares if you know why you say it that way as long as you know it's right, or even close enough.
Look, I am a perfectionist when it comes to my hobbies. When I first started out, I bought every book, studied every vocabulary word, hammered home every verb tense in an effort to be a Spanish speaking machine. I didn't just want to speak Spanish, I wanted to be a walking Spanish dictionary. Then it hit me. What's the point? Most of the Spanish speakers I come across will be just like me when it comes to English. Sure, I'm fluent in English, but that doesn't mean I am a walking dictionary or thesaurus. In fact, when it comes to English grammar, I struggle mightily, but that doesn't stop me from writing these endless blog posts!
We have to get over our fear and realize in the real world, outside academia, no one is judging us on how we speak. OK, no one wants to sound ignorant, which is why we ask for help along the way, but I would much rather learn as I go by talking with live people than sit at home with a grammar book all day long, never interacting with anyone. So do it. Jump in the deep end and start talking. Make mistakes. Sound silly. Ignore all those people who tell you you'll never get it. I think you'll find great satisfaction in the conversations you have.
Even to this day, confidence plays a huge role in being able to speak Spanish. I often realize, sometimes too late, that I actually know more than I give myself credit for and will many times shy away from speaking not because I don't know how to say something, but because there is that lingering doubt that maybe, just maybe, I'm not going to say the right thing. Fear in language learning is a silly thing and I attribute a great deal of the fear we feel to the way we are taught languages in school. Like every other subject we face, our language classes are based on a pass/fail grading system. I may very well have been able to carry on a conversation with ease even as far back as my days in high school, but because I was constantly being graded on using the correct verb tense or placing the accent mark over the proper vowel, my overall score wasn't nearly as high as I would have liked and it made me feel as if I wasn't successful in learning. This "failure" at learning left me feeling like I didn't really know the language and for that I didn't want to sound silly attempting to talk to native speakers. Although I may not know the solution to how we can improve our language learning classes, I will say that the way it is done now is simply not effective.
If I had the chance to go back and talk to my teenage self, I would tell myself to just talk. Jump right in and speak. Don't be afraid to use the present tense instead of the preterit, and don't worry if you use the "tu" form instead of the "usted" form. Sure, foreign language can be intimidating, but we can't just dip our toes in the water and hope for the best. If we're going to be successful, we need to jump in the deep end right from the start and learn to swim as we go. I've read countless forum posts debating the value of studying grammar first or memorizing hundreds of vocabulary words before ever uttering your first phrase. Now, I suppose if you're learning a foreign language for academic reasons, then by all means, study that grammar, but if you're like me, trying to simply learn how to talk to other people, who cares if you know why you say it that way as long as you know it's right, or even close enough.
Look, I am a perfectionist when it comes to my hobbies. When I first started out, I bought every book, studied every vocabulary word, hammered home every verb tense in an effort to be a Spanish speaking machine. I didn't just want to speak Spanish, I wanted to be a walking Spanish dictionary. Then it hit me. What's the point? Most of the Spanish speakers I come across will be just like me when it comes to English. Sure, I'm fluent in English, but that doesn't mean I am a walking dictionary or thesaurus. In fact, when it comes to English grammar, I struggle mightily, but that doesn't stop me from writing these endless blog posts!
We have to get over our fear and realize in the real world, outside academia, no one is judging us on how we speak. OK, no one wants to sound ignorant, which is why we ask for help along the way, but I would much rather learn as I go by talking with live people than sit at home with a grammar book all day long, never interacting with anyone. So do it. Jump in the deep end and start talking. Make mistakes. Sound silly. Ignore all those people who tell you you'll never get it. I think you'll find great satisfaction in the conversations you have.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
To Vlog or Not To Vlog
One way I have been told is an excellent way to improve your speaking skills in a foreign language when you don't have a language partner to practice with is to make a video blog of yourself speaking in your target language. When I first came across this idea, I was so excited to give it a try, I ran out and bought a handheld video camera and started outlying all the various themes I was going to discuss. I was so inspired to get going, I forgot one small detail. I charged the camera, set up a spot in my kitchen to practice, and pressed record. Then came the silence. I had never been comfortable in the spotlight and suddenly I was facing a camera, recording my every move. I froze and had absolutely nothing to say. I quickly paused the recording and went back to the drawing board. My original plan had been to speak "off the cuff" with only a few notes to keep me on track, but I found myself stumbling over my words, forgetting what I wanted to say, or conjugating things entirely wrong. My next plan was to script it all out in advance and read it like a speech. The problem with this was that it took me so long to write out the script, by the time I was ready to record, I was tired and had lost the desire to go through with it. Needless to say, I have a nice camcorder here in my kitchen that has only been used a handful of times since purchasing it last fall.
I did manage to make a few short video clips on the days I was really feeling ambitious, however I feel so awkward watching recordings of myself, I hid them away and never really critiqued them as is the purpose. I'd really like to try again, especially before I leave for Spain. I want to make a documentary style video of my trip, recording myself having conversations with people I come across in Madrid and Valencia. In addition, I wanted to have a collection of "before and after" style videos to chronicle my progress, but as the days creep by, I fear it will soon be time to depart and I won't have much more than a few short clips of me reading my blog entries.
Facing a camera is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. In fact, despite my shyness, I am more comfortable talking to a total stranger than I am in talking on my own to a camera. Something about being able to go back and see the mistakes I make is unnerving. Certainly, we've all had moments like this when it comes to using the language we are studying or simply putting ourselves in a position of awkwardness that we have to overcome. If anyone has any suggestions as to how I can get over my timidness towards my camera, I'd love to hear them. I'm certainly not looking to go pro, but it would be nice to have a video to show my friends and family when I come home. Feel free to share your ideas here with me and perhaps we can work this out together!
I did manage to make a few short video clips on the days I was really feeling ambitious, however I feel so awkward watching recordings of myself, I hid them away and never really critiqued them as is the purpose. I'd really like to try again, especially before I leave for Spain. I want to make a documentary style video of my trip, recording myself having conversations with people I come across in Madrid and Valencia. In addition, I wanted to have a collection of "before and after" style videos to chronicle my progress, but as the days creep by, I fear it will soon be time to depart and I won't have much more than a few short clips of me reading my blog entries.
Facing a camera is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. In fact, despite my shyness, I am more comfortable talking to a total stranger than I am in talking on my own to a camera. Something about being able to go back and see the mistakes I make is unnerving. Certainly, we've all had moments like this when it comes to using the language we are studying or simply putting ourselves in a position of awkwardness that we have to overcome. If anyone has any suggestions as to how I can get over my timidness towards my camera, I'd love to hear them. I'm certainly not looking to go pro, but it would be nice to have a video to show my friends and family when I come home. Feel free to share your ideas here with me and perhaps we can work this out together!
Saturday, June 21, 2014
The Trip To Spain
The idea came to me mostly as a lark last November. I had often said in passing that I would like to see another country but I had never made any real attempts at actually going through with it. The "old" me was very good at talking the talk but never walking the walk. I would say all kinds of things to my friends only to back out at the last minute. One day I let it slip out that I would like to see Spain someday, not with the intention of going on vacation, but rather to spend time there totally immersed in the language. I had become frustrated with my progress in speaking the language despite becoming rather good at reading and writing. If you don't believe me, check out my blog written entirely in Spanish! My one struggle was still with speaking confidently. While I do not subscribe to the notion that one must live in a foreign country in order to learn the language, I did feel dropping myself in the middle of Spain would force me to speak the language and therefore increase my proficiency. That being said, there was a lot more going on in my head besides simply going to Spain.
I'm 33 years old and I have never left the country. In fact, I have never done much of anything daring. I allowed myself to become content with a life that was fairly plain and uninteresting. I made excuses not to do things and found myself often hidden inside a shell, afraid to face the world around me. Around the same time the idea of travelling to Spain bubbled up inside my thoughts, I had reached a low point in my life. I was unhappy with who I was and who I had allowed myself to become. Those around me saw me as a grumpy, rigid, unhappy person. Instead of countering those notions, I let it define who I was and it brought me into a deep depression. Thankfully, I saw what was happening and through a series of events, I climbed my way out. Part of my resurrection came when I decided to make the trip to Spain a reality instead of a fantasy. Going to Spain became more about challenging who I was and who I wanted to be. It was about more than taking a vacation. It was about putting myself in the most uncomfortable position I have ever been in and telling myself that I can do this. Originally, I planned on making the trip immediately after my 35th birthday in 2016, but thanks to some wonderful inspiration I have decided to go in May of 2015. I will spend the entire month in Spain, dividing my time between Madrid and Valencia and my goal is not to speak Spanish, rather it is to NOT speak English. You see, speaking Spanish is easy enough, but I can always fall back on English. If I make the goal to not use a single word of English, it forces me to find other means of communication.
There are so many other factors that are going to play into this trip. I used to say I was afraid to fly. Well, there aren't too many ways to reach Spain from The United States without a plane. I am quiet in social crowds. If I am going to improve my speaking skills, I'm going to have to talk, and I imagine it will be uncomfortable for me to start conversations with total strangers, especially those who don't speak English. Despite living alone, I have never been comfortable going places on my own where I don't know people. I am fairly certain I do not know a single person in Spain. This trip is about so much more than seeing a foreign country. This trip is about challenging myself and every aspect of who I am.
So what I want to know is how those of you out there have used a new language to overcome any fears or reservations about life you may have? Has speaking a new language offered you the confidence to do things you wouldn't have otherwise done? I still have months to prepare for my trip and it has given me a new reason to wake up with a smile on my face every morning. How about you? Let me know and I'll be sure to add more here soon.
I'm 33 years old and I have never left the country. In fact, I have never done much of anything daring. I allowed myself to become content with a life that was fairly plain and uninteresting. I made excuses not to do things and found myself often hidden inside a shell, afraid to face the world around me. Around the same time the idea of travelling to Spain bubbled up inside my thoughts, I had reached a low point in my life. I was unhappy with who I was and who I had allowed myself to become. Those around me saw me as a grumpy, rigid, unhappy person. Instead of countering those notions, I let it define who I was and it brought me into a deep depression. Thankfully, I saw what was happening and through a series of events, I climbed my way out. Part of my resurrection came when I decided to make the trip to Spain a reality instead of a fantasy. Going to Spain became more about challenging who I was and who I wanted to be. It was about more than taking a vacation. It was about putting myself in the most uncomfortable position I have ever been in and telling myself that I can do this. Originally, I planned on making the trip immediately after my 35th birthday in 2016, but thanks to some wonderful inspiration I have decided to go in May of 2015. I will spend the entire month in Spain, dividing my time between Madrid and Valencia and my goal is not to speak Spanish, rather it is to NOT speak English. You see, speaking Spanish is easy enough, but I can always fall back on English. If I make the goal to not use a single word of English, it forces me to find other means of communication.
There are so many other factors that are going to play into this trip. I used to say I was afraid to fly. Well, there aren't too many ways to reach Spain from The United States without a plane. I am quiet in social crowds. If I am going to improve my speaking skills, I'm going to have to talk, and I imagine it will be uncomfortable for me to start conversations with total strangers, especially those who don't speak English. Despite living alone, I have never been comfortable going places on my own where I don't know people. I am fairly certain I do not know a single person in Spain. This trip is about so much more than seeing a foreign country. This trip is about challenging myself and every aspect of who I am.
So what I want to know is how those of you out there have used a new language to overcome any fears or reservations about life you may have? Has speaking a new language offered you the confidence to do things you wouldn't have otherwise done? I still have months to prepare for my trip and it has given me a new reason to wake up with a smile on my face every morning. How about you? Let me know and I'll be sure to add more here soon.
It Has To Start Somewhere
My name is James, and as you may already know, I have a small obsession with speaking Spanish. I've been hanging about Google+ since its inception, but never really found my calling when it came to involving myself in the Google community; that is, until now. While there are truckloads of pages devoted to language learning and just as many devoted to self-improvement, I am not so sure there are all that many associated with using foreign language acquisition as a means of self-improvement. Well, OK, maybe they exist, but I haven't found them, and this was an idea I had the other night, so I decided to run with it.
I thought it best in my first entry to offer a little background of who I am and what brought me here today. Also, I thought it might be nice to give you an idea of how I would like to run this blog so you know what to expect. First of all, a little about me.
Like many students throughout the world, years ago I was forced to learn a foreign language in high school. It was dull, it was confusing, and it was in no way helpful in learning how to communicate with other people. I learned the most basic phrases and spent most of my time trying to learn the most common Spanish swear words. Once I graduated, I mostly forgot what little I had learned. That was until I was confronted with a reason to actually speak the language. You see, I work with a lot of Spanish speaking people and I found it a little uncomfortable to see such a divide among the English speaking employees and the Spanish speaking employees. Some time around 2008, I decided to refresh my memory and start talking with the Spanish speaking members of the staff. I made a promise to them that June that in three months I would be able to communicate with them conversationally. Today, nearly six years later, I am still learning, but I am proud to say I have really impressed them with my progress and have reached a point where I can discuss almost any topic in Spanish without feeling totally lost in the conversation. I'm not perfect and I still have a lot of progress to be made, but it has opened up a new world for me.
That brings me to the second part of this blog. Speaking Spanish has not only made it easier for me to speak to my employees, but it has given me new found confidence in myself. I have always been a shy person and often times avoided talking for fear of embarrassment. I'm not entirely sure what it is about Spanish, but I get a tremendous high anytime I can talk with another Spanish speaker and feel like we understand one another perfectly. I watch my favorite movies in Spanish and I read some of the best novels in Spanish. Learning a second language has truly enriched my life, and I decided I wanted to start this blog as a way to share my experiences as well as learn from others who have found such pleasure in a new language. I'm going to attempt to write it both in English and in Spanish, but I have also included the Google Translate button for anyone who wants to read along in any language. I welcome comments and stories of both success and failure when it comes to learning a foreign language, because anyone who has attempted to learn a new language knows all too well the struggles that come with it. I'm creating this blog in the hopes of inspiring others to fulfill some of their life's dreams and it doesn't necessarily have to be through a new language. It just so happens that's how it worked out for me.
My plan is simple, but to be honest, I haven't looked all that far down the road. I am hoping to structure these entries around the responses I get from others, but I will of course use this page as a way to share my experiences and offer my thoughts. I hope to make some new friends along the way, so if you're interested, jump on board, because away we go.
I thought it best in my first entry to offer a little background of who I am and what brought me here today. Also, I thought it might be nice to give you an idea of how I would like to run this blog so you know what to expect. First of all, a little about me.
Like many students throughout the world, years ago I was forced to learn a foreign language in high school. It was dull, it was confusing, and it was in no way helpful in learning how to communicate with other people. I learned the most basic phrases and spent most of my time trying to learn the most common Spanish swear words. Once I graduated, I mostly forgot what little I had learned. That was until I was confronted with a reason to actually speak the language. You see, I work with a lot of Spanish speaking people and I found it a little uncomfortable to see such a divide among the English speaking employees and the Spanish speaking employees. Some time around 2008, I decided to refresh my memory and start talking with the Spanish speaking members of the staff. I made a promise to them that June that in three months I would be able to communicate with them conversationally. Today, nearly six years later, I am still learning, but I am proud to say I have really impressed them with my progress and have reached a point where I can discuss almost any topic in Spanish without feeling totally lost in the conversation. I'm not perfect and I still have a lot of progress to be made, but it has opened up a new world for me.
That brings me to the second part of this blog. Speaking Spanish has not only made it easier for me to speak to my employees, but it has given me new found confidence in myself. I have always been a shy person and often times avoided talking for fear of embarrassment. I'm not entirely sure what it is about Spanish, but I get a tremendous high anytime I can talk with another Spanish speaker and feel like we understand one another perfectly. I watch my favorite movies in Spanish and I read some of the best novels in Spanish. Learning a second language has truly enriched my life, and I decided I wanted to start this blog as a way to share my experiences as well as learn from others who have found such pleasure in a new language. I'm going to attempt to write it both in English and in Spanish, but I have also included the Google Translate button for anyone who wants to read along in any language. I welcome comments and stories of both success and failure when it comes to learning a foreign language, because anyone who has attempted to learn a new language knows all too well the struggles that come with it. I'm creating this blog in the hopes of inspiring others to fulfill some of their life's dreams and it doesn't necessarily have to be through a new language. It just so happens that's how it worked out for me.
My plan is simple, but to be honest, I haven't looked all that far down the road. I am hoping to structure these entries around the responses I get from others, but I will of course use this page as a way to share my experiences and offer my thoughts. I hope to make some new friends along the way, so if you're interested, jump on board, because away we go.
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