Studying or Traveling Abroad to a Spanish-Speaking Country

This one, in my honest opinion, is particularly important, especially if your goal is to be able to Speak Spanish Fluently. 

Let me tell you a little story.  Like a lot of people, I took Spanish for three years in high school because I had I was required to take a foreign language.   I took the tests, I read the books, I studied the vocabulary.  On the surface, it seemed as though I was retaining the information pretty well. 

But then one day, I was in the doctor's office and a young mother came in with her ill child.  She tried to communicate what her child's problem was but the receptionist couldn't understand her because she only spoke Spanish and very little English.  So I thought, "I'll save the day and be the impromptu translator!"  So I approached and offered to attempt to translate.  They both heartily thanked me and then the young mother began to talk.  Slowly at first, then with increasing speed as all the words started jumbling together and it sounded like the words were going a million miles an hour.  I couldn't understand anything she was saying.  I felt so embarassed because I seriously thought I had a pretty good grasp on the Spanish language.  Boy, how wrong I was.

Later that day, after I had some time to internalize what had happened, it became clear to me that there is a big disconnect between the Spanish language you are taught in school and the Spanish that people actually talk in the real world.  The level of competancy they teach in schools doesn't even come close to the fluency needed to be able to converse with real Spanish Speakers.

Okay, fast forward a few years.  I had the opportunity to go visit my sister in Spain, where she was studying over the summer.  I arrived in beautiful Madrid, Spain and immediately fell in love.  If you're a fan of amazingly historic architecture and bustling city life smashed together into one, you'd love it too.  After only staying there for TWO DAYS, I felt like I had learned more practical knowledge about speaking Spanish than three years of Spanish classes combined.  When you are immersed in that world, when all you hear is Spanish, it is so much easier to absorb it and learn it and live it. 

So how do you know when you've truly learned Spanish?

...When you start dreaming in Spanish!   

"Hold on! I don't have the money or the time to travel to a Spanish-Speaking country!"  Okay, okay, I hear you.  And that's a valid point to bring up.  A lot of people aren't able to either afford it financially or logistically.  That's why it's so important that you surround yourself with Spanish-speaking people around where you live, so that at least you can practice with them.

And remember, don't ever let anyone hold you back from achieving your goals in life. 

P.S. If learning Spanish has always been a dream of yours, you owe it to yourself to get the Rocket Spanish program to help you learn everything from basic grammar and vocabulary to advanced speaking techniques.