I decided to learn Spanish after a brief trip to Prague in 2022. I was impressed by the wide range of languages people in the city spoke. There were Slavic, Germanic, and even some Romance languages all around me. Yes, many of these people were other tourists, but it inspired me to pursue a second language. I wanted to reach fluency, and I would do it in Spanish- arguably the easiest second language for an American to learn.
Since then, I’ve sampled various methods including the language apps and I may delve deeper into my process on another post. But what I’ve come to realize is that you cannot separate the language from the cultures that embody that language. With Spanish, there are an abundance of cultures and Hispanic countries- from Spain to Latin America to Equatorial Guinea in Africa and even some traces in the Philippines. It’s everywhere. As a United States citizen, I was more drawn to the Latin American Spanish. I found it more pleasing to hear & speak as opposed to the original Spanish dialect of Spain.
Of course, Latin America itself encompasses many peoples, customs, and ways of life. Between Central and South America and the Caribbean, every region and every country has its own flavor of Spanish, using distinct and often peculiar combinations of words to express the same ideas. I find the diversity in slang quite humorous, with Mexico earning the top spot for its creativity. I get a chuckle when I say something like “mande” or “que padre” to my Colombian tutor and he has a funny reaction to it. “That’s such a Mexican thing to say.”
In an effort to fully immerse yourself into a language- and its cultures- you start consuming more content in that language. I started adding Latin music playlists to my Spotify. I read a few books in Spanish. I watched movies from Hispanic countries. And I started looking for Spanish creators on YouTube that were making content I normally consumed in English.
The music really grew on me, especially as I started understanding the lyrics. I’m a rock/metal fan, but I found myself enjoying these songs about the joys of living your life authentically and with the ones you love. I generally avoid this type of music in the U.S. as I find much of it shallow & materialistic. Somehow, they made it fun to listen to.
I was influenced to start taking classes in Latin dance where I lived. This was shortly before a trip to Mexico City. I may talk more about that trip in another post but to summarize one night, I went to a rooftop bar with a girl I met. I attempted to salsa dance with her. I was terrible. We had a blast! I am currently taking classes in Bachata, which I have a slightly better handle on.
I enjoyed books by Gabriel García Márquez, such as Memorias de Mis Putas Tristes and Doce Cuentos Peregrinos. My aim is to work my way towards his most celebrated novel, Cien Años de Soledad.
Reading articles on BBC Mundo was great practice and also gave me plenty of insights on current events in Latin America and how they affect the people who live there. Some offered a deep dive into lesser-known cities, towns and locals outside the tourist destinations.
And truthfully, I haven’t scratched the surface. There’s so much to learn and so much to gain from exposing yourself to people from different walks of life. I don’t intend for this blog to only venture into Latin America, but as a Spanish learner, it will be a heavy focus. And I look forward to sharing further insights I receive from my travels.
If anyone reading this has had a similar experience when learning a new language, I’d love to hear it in the comments.
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