Why Can't I Speak Spanish?

Have you been studying Spanish for a long time, but when it comes to have a conversation... ¿no, gracias?

I know some Spanish, but I can't speak. Why?: The reason behind not being successful at your linguistic performance in Spanish.

When we start learning a new language, we all feel so motivated and excited about this wonderful experience. I mean, who doesn't want to be bilingual? The problem starts when months and years pass by and even though you know some vocabulary, expressions and structures, you are not able to handle a basic conversation in the language that you have giving your best to learn (and speak). Questions start being asked and frustration comes to you, and deep inside your brain there is a little voice that sounds over and over again asking you how much longer it will take you to finally speak the language of your choice without freezing and getting speechless. But, what if I told you that there is a reason behind this unpleasant scenario? You better keep reading.

What's going on? Why is this happening to you?

Keeping this short and to the point, there might be more than one reason why your experience learning Spanish has not been the best and you have not developed the skill of being able to speak it, but the main one is simple: you are not learning the language with the right guidance, methodology and program.

As an expert in the field of Teaching Spanish as a Second Language (+ Foreign Language) and Applied Linguistics for Language Teaching, with several years of professional experience, I have had the opportunity to analyze many different Spanish programs in order to evaluate how effective they are in terms of making the students achieve their linguistic goals, and unfortunately, most of them do not meet the criteria, guidelines and requirements necessary for a successful learning experience. As a result of that, the students end up receiving everything they should avoid by all terms when someone wants to learn a new language, such as:

1. An ineffective or inexistent language teaching method.

2. An illogical connection among the topics that must be covered in class.

3. A teacher's lack of knowledge about the language and how it works: the rationales and procedures (the "whys" and "hows").

4. The incapability to detect a learning disability or disorder (one of the main skills that a professional in Linguistics must have).

5. The incompetence at designing didactic materials that help students develop the five linguistic skills that a proficient language user requires: listening, reading, speaking, writing and interacting.

My professional point of view? This is what I suggest to do.

If you are convinced that you want to become bilingual and speak Spanish like you mean it, there are a few things that you will have to take into consideration to progressively achieve your goals and have a five-star learning experience.

a. Hire a certified Spanish teacher.

Facts are facts. There is not a better person to teach you the language than a professional in the field. A certified Spanish teacher will beautifully and professionally combine methods, skills, knowledge and cultural aspects from which you will get the results that you expect.

b. Converse with your teacher about your interests, desires and goals.

A professional language teacher will always design a customized program for you taking into consideration what you want and what you need, so feel free to talk to them about your interests, what you like and the things that you dislike. By doing this, your teacher will always keep a balance between your personal goals and what you need to achieve them. Trust them, a professional language teacher will always know what is best for you.

c. Change your habits if necessary.

Learning a language is like going to the gym. When someone decides to go to the gym because they want to start having a healthier lifestyle, they will have to change a ton of habits because only going to the gym will not be enough to achieve this goal. Therefore, they will have to include other beneficial habits as a complement to get better results, for example, eating healthier, drinking more water and a better sleep. But, how does this relate to learning a language? Simple. Changing and integrating new studying habits is exactly what you will have to do when you start learning Spanish. The best thing? You will not have to do it alone, your teacher will always be there to help.

d. Follow your teacher's instructions and recommendations.

As I said before, your teacher will always know what is best for you. Remember that they were professionally trained for that. So, every time the teacher asks you to study out of class, to practice in a certain way or to try a new studying technique, do it. I guarantee you will see the results.

e. Be patient and enjoy the journey.

Learning a language takes time, so you better be patient because unfortunately, this is not something that happens overnight. Why does it take so long to learn a new language though? Here is the answer. When you learn a new language, not only do you learn about the language, its grammar and its rules, but also about how to apply effective techniques that will help you receive and produce information in this language overtime, and in order to do that, you will have to train your listening, reading, speaking and writing skills in a completely new linguistic system. In addition to this, you will also have to respect your own learning process and not to compare how fast or slow you learn in comparison to other students.

Unfortunately, becoming a bilingual individual is not as easy for everyone, and just as it happens at sports, there are people who are more skilled at learning foreign languages than others, and this is completely normal. Good news? That something is difficult doesn't mean that it is impossible, so I mean it when I say that being proficient in a new language is totally doable and everyone can do it. I can do it, you can do it, we all can do it, but at our own pace, embracing our skills and avoiding frustration, which sometimes seems impossible.

As you can see, learning Spanish and, which is even more important, being able to speak it in real-life contexts should not be difficult if you do as I suggest and follow my recommendations. Remember that it takes so much more than being able to speak a language to be language teacher and by choosing wisely who you are going to learn Spanish from, you will see the difference. A professional language teacher has the tools to design a program that fits your needs and which structure makes sense and leads the student to success. Why don't you try it out and find it out by yourself?

If you are interested in learning Spanish with me, please, don't hesitate to contact me. It will be a pleasure to join you in this life-changing journey that is more than worth it.

Aram Ortiz.

B.A. in Teaching Spanish as a Second Language.

Major in Applied Linguistics for Language Teaching.

+52 (322) 122-4008 | spanish.oneonone.pv@gmail.com