Do you speak Spanish?
Come to Costa Rica and this is the first question most people ask when they attend their first Spanish lesson. When you’re not splashing about in the water at our surf retreat or enjoying a relaxing massage, you might be sitting on a beach learning to speak the language of this Central American paradise. You know it’s important and fun to learn a new language, but you are likely to still have some butterflies floating around in the pit of your stomach.
Language Difficulty
Every language has a certain level of difficulty. You’ll find a lot of websites which attempt to rank languages in order of difficulty. Whilst we won’t discuss the various drawbacks of such ranking systems, the consensus is Spanish is one of the ideal languages to learn for novice language learners.
There are a minimal number of tenses and pronouncing the words is simple for an English speaker. The most difficult part is learning to roll some of the words off your tongue.
Fear
Languages are difficult mainly because of the various tenses and conjugations. In the case of the Oriental languages, you’ll also have to deal with difficult symbols on top of this. Spanish is easier to learn than English. One of the reasons why people find it so hard is due to their own fears about failing.
It’s no secret the US and the UK rarely put much stock in learning languages. Once you leave school, these language skills tend to fade away. Be confident in your abilities, prepare yourself mentally to make some mistakes, and you’ll find learning Spanish enjoyable.
Total Immersion
If you’re going to try learning from a textbook without any immersion, you will find it difficult. It’s tough to stay motivated in this sort of environment. So, travel to a destination such as Costa Rica where the national language is Spanish.
During your excursions, you’ll encounter local people who speak fluent Spanish and English. Try your skills on them and get acquainted with the language in the real world.
It’s still important to use textbooks and traditional learning materials, but they shouldn’t be the only things you use. Studies have shown students who’re immersed and integrated into a language will learn it much faster than someone who has no real world contact with it.
Fun
Learning a language should be fun. You’re on holiday in a delightful corner of the world and there’s no time for boredom. Boredom is when learning Spanish becomes hard because you don’t really want to be there. Make learning about having fun, playing games, and engaging in interesting conversations.
Why not grab a cold beer, sit under a palm tree with a new Spanish-speaking friend, and swap some stories. Now that’s the best way to learn to speak a new language!
Contact us for help organizing your next Costa Rican adventure.
