At La Academia, we place an emphasis on our students speaking Spanish. It’s one of the most important aspects of learning a new language, and it’s also one of the most difficult things to do.
Adult students are very self-conscious about making an error. They may feel their accent or inflection is incorrect. Native Spanish speakers also speak very fast, so it may feel overwhelming. Remembering vocabulary, the order of words in a complete sentence, or even colloquial phrases can leave a student completely frozen. And all of these are perfectly understandable.
This is why I encourage students to practice their Spanish while dining at a Mexican restaurant. The wait staff is typically bilingual, so even if you get stuck, they can usually prompt you in English. If they are speaking Spanish and it went by in a blur, you can say, “más dispacio, por favor” or “slower, please.”
Listening and responding to a new language is key. The more you practice, the easier it gets. And let’s face it, practicing your Spanish while having chips and salsa, enchiladas and perhaps a margarita is a reward in itself!