The Gardener who Became Fluent in Spanish

Sometimes our students like to share their stories about how they became fluent in Spanish with others. Today Michael wants to publish this letter here for future Spanish students:

Hi! I’m Michael, Isbilia student turned Isbilia blog contributor. 

Are you thinking about taking up Spanish classes but find it hard to envisage having conversations or reading books in the language? Imagine being able to enjoy films and music in Spanish, I mean, to go from knowing just the odd couple of words to being able to express yourself and experience the world in another tongue. It sounds so revolutionary, right?

I know exactly how you feel, because that has been the story of my life since I started studying Spanish at Isbilia. I want to tell you that you can get there too!

I’ve recently moved house and have taken up sowing peppers, tomatoes and aubergines, and planting flowers, cacti and agave. I’ve seen firsthand how these incredible forms appear from the ground as if from nowhere. As if by magic, and explode with colour and life.

Well, this is how I see language learning: we are the earth (incidentally, the root of the word ‘human’ means ‘of the earth’), and we plant seeds in that earth by taking up classes.

By going to classes, by reading, by talking to people in Spanish when we get the chance, we are watering those seeds, and one day, all of a sudden, you’ll realise that something magic is happening and that you are blooming as a Spanish speaker. You will become fluent in Spanish. 

Now, my number one tip for any saplings out there is to establish a habit. I think we’ve all been there; we pay for a gym membership, we buy a new musical instrument or take up a new sport, but after two weeks it just kind of peters out. It is vital to get past this first barrier, and it is so rewarding when we do.

And what will help us get past this first barrier?

How about having a kind, patient and knowledgeable teacher who will push us to achieve our goals? Well, at Isbilia Spanish Online, that is exactly what I found.

It is challenging to start when you see that you can improve with each lesson. My experience of travelling around Latin America changed my mind. I understood that, if I wanted to understand a language in depth, I needed someone to tell me what is used in each region. In each country.

Welcome to the universe of Spanish!

Michael Luscombe