Student Spotlight: RYAN'S STORY
What motivated you to dive into learning Spanish at Speak!? Have you tried learning Spanish in the past?
Two things motivated me to learn Spanish. First, my wife and her family are originally from Chihuahua, Mexico so I have been trying to learn so I can better communicate with my in-laws (and know what my wife is saying when she’s mad at me). Some of them speak English but most of them speak only Spanish. I have tried in the past with phone apps and language software but realized I needed a formal setting to force me to do the work. I work a lot better with direction and deadlines for learning a new skill.
Ryan (center) with his wife Evelyn’s family in Chihuahua
Secondly, I work as an analyst for the US Army. The area that I’m currently working on covers regions of the world that are Spanish-speaking. Learning Spanish will help me immensely with working with foreign partners or reading foreign reports that are applicable in my area of responsibility.
What do you find most challenging about learning to speak Spanish?
For me, learning to speak Spanish is the hardest skill in comparison to reading, writing and listening. I consider myself a perfectionist and want to have what I’m saying out loud be 100% right before I say it. I fully realize the fastest learners for Speaking language are the ones that have no fear and just speak and make mistakes and either get corrected or self-correct. But, in my current class, my teacher works with us every day to make us more confident Spanish speakers.
Also, a difficult part is trying to not compare it too much to English. I can easily make assumptions and comparisons on words and phrases because they look similar and the alphabet is similar. I have to try to open part of my brain to allow me to take it as new information and not as information that already exists in my head but is changing. My teacher, Alejandra, would say I am a student that always has to know the “why/por qué” behind the grammatical rule. Sometimes there is not a good explanation and the rule just exists. I can be a pain in the butt sometimes. :)
Working hard in the Speak! classroom with Alejandra.
Not pictured: Ryan’s home-brewed Kombucha, which he says
helps him stay alert during the 3 hour lessons.
Do you remember the moment when you realized you were actually able to carry on a conversation todo en español? Can you describe it? How did it make you feel?
One of the first times I remember carrying on a conversation in Spanish was with my mother-in-law. My wife was sick in the hospital and I was forced to talk about it with my mother-in-law because it was an emergency situation. I wish that the first time hadn’t been an emergency but sometimes I guess that’s what it takes. I just said words and phrases I knew made sense to make sure everyone was on the same page.
Looking back, I was not thinking about how it made me feel, we were just concerned about my wife recovering. Now, I have many conversations over Whatsapp or videochat with my in-laws in Mexico. Knowing now how difficult learning a language is, every conversation makes me feel like it’s a miracle!
Your current Speak! Spanish course involves 3 hours of Spanish lessons per day, 5 days a week, for 10 weeks! How do you feel this intensive, daily practice is helping you progress with your Spanish?
Three hours a day may sees like not a lot to some people but for me, I have never taken a three hour class in anything ever including high school, college or graduate school. Its’ hard to keep your brain on and fresh for 3 hours straight with 100% concentration. I go home everyday mentally exhausted. That being said, I actually think this is a good amount of instruction because every hour in the classroom is better than every hour trying to learn on your own. At the end of the course we will have 150 hours of classroom time in 10 weeks. It would take a year to equal that time if you did one class 3 times per week for an hour each time.
I am also able to practice at home with my wife and family. That makes everything come full-circle and really makes everything I’m learning matter. I’ve also found watching TV with Spanish subtitles helps a lot.
What do you enjoy most about your Spanish learning experience at Speak!?
My favorite part is definitely the small classroom size. This means more individualized attention for each student. My class right now is 3 students and the teacher. We get a lot of one-on-one time with our teacher. Our teacher, Alejandra, is also great and makes sure she gives us 1768 pages of homework each night so we get our practice and get zero free time (just kidding).
Cocinando en Mexico – Kitchen with a view!
Spanish is everywhere in the U.S. How do you find ways to practice Spanish outside the classroom in and around C-ville ?
Like I said before, talking with my in-laws in Mexico really helps bring everything full circle. Also, me and my wife attend Spanish mass sometimes at Church of the Incarnation in Charlottesville. I was surprised how much more I could understand at mass after I started class at Speak!.
Are you planning to practice your Spanish on any upcoming trips to Spanish-speaking countries?
My wife and I just got back from Chihuahua, Mexico where we spent two weeks over Christmas. We plan to go back to visit at least once per year. We are also big beach bums and most of the world’s best beaches are in Spanish speaking countries so I will definitely use my skills in the future there.
