My Spanish Journey

Sharing more about my Spanish learning journey over the past few years and the strategies that helped me the most. Spoiler: Duolingo did nothing for me.

Hi friends! How are you? I hope you’re having a wonderful morning. Yesterday we visited a water park and an amusement park, so today feels like a more relaxed, low-key day.

As we enter our 4th week in Spain, I thought I’d share a quick update on my Spanish journey and the things that have helped me the most. I believe it’s so important as an adult to embrace being a *beginner* in new things—it’s a great way to challenge your brain, explore new hobbies, and try activities you’ve always wanted to do, even if you’re not great at them at first. Many of my friends have set goals to learn a new language, so I hope this post is helpful! I’d also love to hear any strategies that have worked for you.

A Little Background:

– My grandmother often spoke Spanish. Because of this, I’ve always been able to understand it, but I’ve never spoken it myself. My family would ask me questions in Spanish, and I’d respond in English. When people around me spoke Spanish, I could follow the conversation but didn’t contribute to it.

– I took basic Spanish classes in elementary and high school and continued in college. I thought this would be my chance to become fluent. While I wrote essays, read novels, and analyzed poetry, only about 5% of my time in class was spent actually speaking Spanish. It improved my reading and writing skills but didn’t help me feel confident in speaking.

– A few years ago, I decided to seriously focus on learning Spanish again. We love traveling, and I enjoy communicating with people in different places, so it felt important to me. Some of our closest friends are from Colombia, and I wanted to feel more comfortable speaking with them. I also plan to work with IHP clients in Spanish starting next year.

I tried several methods to refresh my skills and build confidence in speaking. Here’s what made a huge difference—and what didn’t work at all.

Learning Spanish as an Adult

Apps:

I haven’t found any apps useful for real-world situations. I tried both Duolingo and Babbel, but they didn’t help. They focus heavily on vocabulary and memorization but lack in teaching grammatical rules and practical language use. Even after using these apps consistently, I didn’t learn anything new.

Virtual and In-Person Tutoring:

This was a game-changer for me. After some research, I found Italki, which became my go-to for Spanish tutoring. I meet with a tutor at least once a week and also have homework in reading, writing, fluency, speaking, and listening. It took some time, but I found a tutor who pushes me (sometimes a little too much, haha!) and helps me step out of my comfort zone. (Let me know if you’d like their contact info—I’m happy to share!)

Practicing Spanish in Spain:

Last year, during our two-week trip to Spain, I thought, “This is my chance!” It was a great confidence booster—I could order food, ask and answer questions, and handle basic interactions. However, I noticed that many locals spoke English, especially in Seville. This time, I was determined to speak only Spanish, and it felt much more natural and easy. I’m excited to continue practicing and hopefully start speaking Spanish with my Spanish-speaking friends at home too.

I also had the opportunity to work with a wonderful Spanish teacher twice a week while we were here!

Most of my conversations have been surface-level, like interactions in shops and restaurants. But the deepest conversations I’ve had were with taxi drivers! In Barcelona, we discussed the economy, quality of life in the US, school systems, and food costs—it was such a great experience. I’m excited to keep practicing while we’re here and eventually speak Spanish fluently with my friends.

So, friends, tell me: What are you a beginner in these days? Are you learning a new skill or language? I’d love to hear about it!

xoxo

Gina

My Spanish Journey – Fitness