Speak the Language or You’ll Never Learn

Let’s be realistic. If you are not confident speaking the language and afraid to look stupid when speaking it (like me), worry that people may misunderstand you — you will never become near-native fluent. There is simply no other way around it.

I’ve been living in Spain for a year and a half now. I have picked up Spanish along the way. Sure, I have read up on language theories, but what really helps me is actually speaking it out loud and clearly without mumbling or rushing, but slowly with confidence.

At my school, I have seen students from other countries struggle with Spanish, despite boasting about their language skills on our Discord channel before we met in person.

As graduation approaches, many of them seem to lose their motivation to learn or give up. They’re content with knowing enough to get by without diving deep into the language. I mean, all they need is some basic supermarket phrases:

“Bolsa necesitas?”

“No, gracias.”

“Tarjeta de Consum?”

“No.”

“Efectivo o tarjeta?”

“Con tarjeta.”

Acing in Theories Don’t Help Much

Yes, it will give you the upper hand. You might start recognizing words on signs or piecing together sentences you read. But if you don’t put yourself out there and speak it, theories will not help you. Trust me. I speak from experience.

Before I went to Spain, I spent time studying language theories. It all paid off only when I practised speaking it. Practising speaking gave me the chance to work on my pronunciation and grammar. Sometimes, when we’re trying to communicate verbally, we mix up the forms or stumble over our words. Hence why it takes practice in real-life conversation.

I have a friend who loves to show off on Instagram. She posts stories of herself writing essays in Spanish, making it seem like she’s fluent. But when we were out and about and needed to talk to locals, she never showcased the advanced Spanish she claimed to know. It was all just for a show. If they did speak to her, the broken Spanish came out, not even a proper sentence — even though she’s learned more advanced concepts.

Let’s not be one of those people.

Don’t be Afraid to Look Dumb

Do you know the native speakers applaud and respect your efforts to learn their language? At least, that is how it is in Spain. Maybe in other countries, you’ve got to be perfect to speak it. I find this expectation disrespectful towards those earnestly engaged in the learning process.

Think about it: you are stepping out of your comfort zone and learning another language to show respect for their culture. That deserves some respect. They must respect you. If people don’t appreciate that, they don’t deserve your time.

I really need to take my own advice here because I still struggle with the fear of looking foolish. I live with a native Spanish-speaking family of two, and they’re incredibly kind and supportive. They encouraged me to practice with them, but I told them I was nervous about sounding dumb. The daughter’s response was really eye-opening. She said,” Sheamus, you know three languages. If they think you’re stupid for speaking broken Spanish, then it’s actually them who are foolish because they can’t even speak English!”

I grew up a perfectionist, which might explain my fear. I mean, I’ve had 9-year-old kids teaching me Spanish when I was supposed to teach them English. So really, it can’t get any worse than that!

What If They Don’t Understand Me?

It’s not that scary. You can try baby speech, breaking down your words into smaller, manageable parts. I’m confident that people will be able to understand you.

I once met an elderly German lady who shared her approach with me. She would piece together words one by one, much like a baby learning to form sentences. Surprisingly, people were able to comprehend her just fine.

Another inspiring example is my former boss at the car wash. He was great at knowing four languages. Spanish is his fifth one. While his Spanish may not have been perfect, he communicated effectively with customers. Even when he repeated basic phrases, he still managed to attract and retain customers. Nobody made fun of him.

“A different language is a different vision of life.” — Federico Fellini

Afterword — What Lesson Can You Take

Let’s underline everything. The main objective here is our ability to interact with locals. There is no purpose in keeping our language knowledge to ourselves. What good is it if we don’t use it?

1. Be brave. You have the advantage because you’re making the effort to learn, and others should respect that. Have you ever met someone trying to learn your language? Do you feel like making fun of them or showing them some respect?

Exactly.

2. Baby speech! Separating word by word will help when the other person does not understand you. Don’t worry about feeling embarrassed. In fact, they might appreciate your effort and even help you form a proper sentence! I’ve had supportive friends who did just that.

3. Keep your language theories strong, but most importantly, you need to speak the language loud and clear!

4. Interacting with locals will boost your learning in every way. You’ll learn about their cultures, and find hidden meanings! Isn’t that just amazing?

I hope these will help you in your language learning.

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Thank you for reading :)