Last Day of School
Friday was my last day of Spanish classes. (Tear)
I'm not fluent yet but I've learned all the grammar there is to learn. At this point reading and talking are the best ways to build vocabulary and increase the fluidity with which I jump between grammar structures. I'm also working my way through an excellent and very comprehensive Spanish review book that I highly recommend to anyone looking to brush up on all aspects of the language.
Those in the know told me I would need three months to hold my own in a conversation and six to be fluent. I've got two and a half months under my belt and I understand almost everything and can hold my own in a conversation. I expect to be waxing poetic all over the place in three more months. Reading novels is still sufficiently frustrating to elicit a healthy supply of profane muttering but every day it gets a little easier.
A few feelings:
Nostalgia - I'm always sad when things I've enjoyed come to an end - finishing jobs, college, a meal at Delfina, and language classes come to mind.
Accomplishment - Wow, I took 20 hours of group lessons and 70 hours of private lessons and learned all the Spanish grammar there is to learn. That's pretty cool.
Trepidation - Uhhh, I'm still not fluent. WTF?
Excitement - I had my first interview for a job at an English school yesterday. With the nostalgia for the familiar comes the thrill of the new. I'm considering a number of possibilities for work and I'm very excited to discover what life has in store for me.
I'm not fluent yet but I've learned all the grammar there is to learn. At this point reading and talking are the best ways to build vocabulary and increase the fluidity with which I jump between grammar structures. I'm also working my way through an excellent and very comprehensive Spanish review book that I highly recommend to anyone looking to brush up on all aspects of the language.
Those in the know told me I would need three months to hold my own in a conversation and six to be fluent. I've got two and a half months under my belt and I understand almost everything and can hold my own in a conversation. I expect to be waxing poetic all over the place in three more months. Reading novels is still sufficiently frustrating to elicit a healthy supply of profane muttering but every day it gets a little easier.
A few feelings:
Nostalgia - I'm always sad when things I've enjoyed come to an end - finishing jobs, college, a meal at Delfina, and language classes come to mind.
Accomplishment - Wow, I took 20 hours of group lessons and 70 hours of private lessons and learned all the Spanish grammar there is to learn. That's pretty cool.
Trepidation - Uhhh, I'm still not fluent. WTF?
Excitement - I had my first interview for a job at an English school yesterday. With the nostalgia for the familiar comes the thrill of the new. I'm considering a number of possibilities for work and I'm very excited to discover what life has in store for me.
