Today one of my students was so excited telling me about how she got to practice her Spanish with someone she met at a party last weekend.
‘It was awesome! I even got to use some of the stuff you taught me last week! I used the entre comillas thing (while using the international sign for air quotes) that we learned during our lesson! And he said my Spanish was so good!’
You can tell she was having a great time just remembering how great it felt to speak in Spanish to another human being other than her teacher. To understand and to be understood in a language you’ve worked so hard to learn. How cool is that!
It is quite surprising to me how very few of my students get to enjoy this unbelievable shot of excitement and self esteem on a regular basis. My average client lives some kind of secret love affair with the language. Reading, watching movies (great enjoyable things by the way) but never getting to enjoy the pleasures of conversation with another person other than their tutor and classmates if any. How sad is that!
Not that there is any shortage of opportunity! It's not like you are studying some kind of obscure language here. Spanish is everywhere around you if you are willing to find it. I guess shyness and laziness get in the way most of the time. Let’s kick those two things right in the butt. You will not regret it!
One good safe place to start might be your own home. Have you ever thought of finding someone in Mexico, Spain or Costa Rica who would like to speak to you in Spanish while you also take a little time to chat with them in English?
Try some sites like www.conversationexchange.com. As far as I know it is free and I had some students who found it very very helpful and even made some good friends. You can use Skype to talk to a native speaker who lives in another country face to face. It is such a great idea.
I remember, for example, how my student Tom met a bunch of good friends that way. He even got to take some cooking lessons online with his friend in Sevilla while drinking a glass of wine and practicing his Spanish. It was a lot of fun!
I know! I know! you think this is not for you! you are too shy and this and that. But you know what? you only live once. Be brave. Do it and see how it goes!
Like with everything else in life, don’t expect to find the perfect match the first time you try it. It will take a couple of tries before you find the right person for you. Which is totally fine. But I think it is soooo worth trying.
Please go for it and tell me how it went. I will always be here to help you and give you advise.