People often ask me if it’s hard to study Spanish, or they simply say it is a tricky language to learn. However, the biggest problem for them is that they see this ‘wall’ (an unknown language) and think it’s almost impossible for them to get around it, or that only smart people can learn Spanish or another language. The truth is, however, that Spanish is one of the easiest languages to learn, if your native tongue is a European language. But even if it isn’t; you already know English (otherwise you wouldn’t understand this post) and English and Spanish share the same alphabet and other nice things (the spelling of Spanish is nothing compared to English; they came up with a ‘concept’ where you spell the things how you say them. [sarcasm]WOW![/sarcasm]). According to Khatzumoto (yeah, sorry, I like the way he thinks. And he is just right regarding a lot of things) it’s possible for everyone to learn Japanese, so why wouldn’t you be able to learn Spanish?
So how is it possible that people study Spanish for years and years, and that they’re still not able to have even the simplest conversations? It’s just a matter of choosing the wrong approach. A lot of people use textbooks with artificial conversations, old words, boring content, etc., etc. Textbooks are expecting someone to know a rule by heart by just seeing three examples, or force people to learn out-of-context words. So it’s not that Spanish is difficult, that’s what some people want you to believe. Just look to some of the advantages you have as a speaker of the English language:
It has the same alphabet, is spelled phonetically, has some of the easiest sounds to produce, has a clear grammar, not many hard-to-pronounce words, etc., etc. So far I can see it’s pretty easy to study Spanish. The only thing that lacks most of the time, is that people believe they can’t do it. Why would say if it’s impossible if you didn’t even try?
So, the biggest hurdle to take is to say to yourself: I. Can. Do. It. NOW! And instead of just saying it and then doing nothing, start acting like you can do it. Gather materials, USE them and you’ll see Spanish really is one of the easlier languages to master. “Ahhhhh, sure Ramses. I can start studying Spanish, but my accent will suck anyway, I will never master the grammar or idioms and I will NEVER have a big vocabulary” you might say. Nonsense, I will say. Just go, study, enjoy the language. Enjoy your progress, enjoy hanging out with Spanish people. Enjoy each and every thing you do in Spanish, enjoy using Spanish. Just say to yourself: I can do it, and I WILL succeed and master Spanish to the point where I can say it’s my second (or third) native language. It’s not that hard, it’s perfectly possible.
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Yes, that weird kid at the left is me. My name is Ramses and I study Spanish. Just Spanish, like millions of other people. And yes, I blog about it. But what's different about me?
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
thesmithtopher 06.24.08 at 3:30 am
You’re right about the mentality that people seem to have regarding learning other languages. I find it’s also a question of time and committment. Most people just aren’t willing to put the time in that’s required to learn another language. We didn’t learn our mother tongues by practicing half an hour twice a week. We immersed ourself.
The committment is another thing; it’s hard to find incentive to learn another language when we communicate perfectly fine in one (or more) languages already.
A great example is yourself, who speaks 2 languages, one of them being the most popular language on Earth with great media and intellectual material to throw yourself into. So there’s hardly a need for you to learn another language! But you want to, it’s a pleasure for you to learn another language.
Most people don’t share that passion and only crave knowledge of another language when it comes time to use it (going travelling), and travelling once a year or so to a foreign tongued land doesn’t provide for much incentive.
Misha 11.21.08 at 12:45 am
I couldn’t agree more with the guy who posted behind me! I see tourists trying hard to speak Spanish and feeling bad because they can’t get a single word out of their mouths…but learning a language takes time and patience… and LOTS OF PASSION.
I sort of teach myself foreign languages and I came up with a good amount of knowledge of French and English (well… sort of). It can be so much fun to learn other languages. It opens your mind (even doors) to experiences and ways of thinking that differ from the ones of your own country.
I encourage everyone to learn a foreign language but pay attention to yours as well, learn yours very well, rules of grammar is very important. Once you have clear why you say this and that here and there it will become easier to learn the same in other language by what we call “comparative grammar”.