by Sarah Folio
English Conversation Coach & Materials Designer
When I moved to Spain back in 2015 I had very little knowledge and experience with Spanish. I had only taken one year of an intensive Spanish course at the University and had basically considered myself a Spanish master because of my excellent grade and my ability to order some comida off the Mexican menu. Mis amigos at the Mexican restaurant definitely inflated my confidence into thinking I could speak Spanish well. However, when I graduated at the end of the year and moved to Murcia, I had a rude awakening. Surprisingly, my 10 memorable phrases in Spanish were not helping me get by and I couldn’t understand a word that was being spoken to me or around me. Some words I do remember early on were: Achoooo, como eta?. I started thinking to myself:
– Ugh! What kind of Spanish did they teach me at the University and why didn’t the Mexicans say this?!
Long story short is that I literally had to learn Spanish by living and immersing myself every day in the culture. I had no other option and I am so grateful for that because there truly is no better way of learning than by doing. I can remember repeating phrases or pondering endlessly over a simple conversation just trying to imitate the sounds and words. I probably… No, most definitely looked like a parrot out there but I did not care. What mattered most was being able to start somewhere. I would have to fail constantly with pronunciation, accent marks, and gender endings.
Even a simple construct of sentences was something I had to get comfortable with if I really wanted to have a voice in my new life.
With time I did get better and people would correct me and they still do to this day. I am very lucky to have had a Spanish partner to reassure me when I would doubt things and correct me when I would make mistakes.
This is exactly the kind of push we all need when trying to improve our speaking, and the conversation groups offer you this personal interaction and accountability. Even today I sometimes struggle with being corrected but I know it’s the most important part of the learning process and you will too.
Having been in this position and still learning so much every day gives me that edge as a teacher and the ability to relate and empathize with my students who are embarrassed about making a mistake or ashamed of their level.
I am a testimony of what it is like to learn by doing without a class or a book and being totally unashamed of trying and asking to be corrected.
I hope my small yet courageous story inspires my students to go out there with the same attitude and know we are on this “camino” together.
Sarah Folio
The Way Experience Team
Materials Designer
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