How’s My Spanish? Spanish Language Update + Tips

3 minute read

February 1, 2022

Today, I am sharing an honest update about my Spanish progression and how I feel like I am adapting to living in Ecuador with my current language skills. I’m also sharing some tips and best practices that have helped me in my language learning journey. Are you currently learning a language? What advice do you have for me to learn Spanish?

Subscribe to The Jazzy Nation

The question I’ve received the most since arriving in Ecuador is, “How’s your Spanish?”

Arriving in Quito

When I arrived in Quito at the airport, I felt like everything was in Spanish, and there was no English in the conversations I heard or the signs I saw. These things were reminders that I needed to step my game up. When you are at the airport, especially during a pandemic, you need to understand what is being said by attendants to respond to questions appropriately. Otherwise, you can be frustrated or frustrate others, which is overwhelming.

Have I improved?

I don’t feel like I have improved as much as I would have liked. But I also know I’ve been hard on myself. I know I need to try harder, but I have avoided conversations when possible. Cuenca was a challenging trip for discussions because everyone spoke Spanish, meetings and the conference we attended was in Spanish. So although it was good practice, it was a wake-up call that I needed to keep learning, practicing, and trying.

Handling Business

Lately, I’ve had to use the phone to make appointments and reservations. It always seems like a nerve-wracking process at first, and I think it’s due to a lack of confidence in my speaking ability. But once I get over myself, I speak and try my best.

Spanish Tutoring and Practice

I took a break from learning Spanish over the last three weeks. I was feeling overwhelmed, tired, and foggy. I honestly felt like giving up on my Spanish learning journey and working on just getting by. But I knew that was a cop-out. I completed my last tutoring session with my mentor at the end of December. I realized that having a tutor motivated me to study almost every day, and having homework kept me accountable. So I signed up for tutoring again, and I have my first session next week. Although I enjoyed my last tutor and we became friends, I realized I was getting complacent, so I decided to try someone new for the next couple of months. I will keep you updated, and you can let me know if you want to see more videos and posts about this new tutoring journey.