Learning Spanish Abroad

March 19, 2024

Authored By:

By: Madeline Ahlberg

There are so many opportunities for immersive language learning experiences abroad. Simply being in an environment with Spanish as the predominant language significantly enhances language proficiency. I had taken Spanish classes in highschool, like most of my friends, so when I first arrived in Spain I already had some background in the language. This made the transition for me a lot easier, but is not necessary. It was definitely a challenge at first adjusting to something other than English, but became way easier to understand the more time I spent in Spain. Everyday scenarios like ordering at restaurants, and going to grocery stores will teach you basic phrases.

One of the things that helped me the most was my Spanish class this semester abroad. The learning style is so much different than in the states, and you really get to focus on your conversational skills. This is where I learned a lot of useful new vocabulary and daily expressions. I would find myself remembering and applying the material I learned from class, into my everyday life without it feeling like homework or a chore. This is so important because it really shows growth and how different your brain learns when what you are learning is actually useful in real life. It's not just being forced to study flash cards for a test anymore which I think is a really great thing.

Another thing that helped me learn Spanish was staying in a homestay. My host family didn't speak any English, so I had to learn very quickly in order to communicate with them. It's so much easier to learn when there is the pressure of needing to be able to speak the language to get by.

Something else I did while abroad was tutor a little girl in English every week. Since she only knew a few words in English, I was able to use my Spanish to help her, and I felt like I learned a lot from speaking to her and her mom in Spanish since it's such a low-pressure setting so I felt very comfortable practicing.

Lastly, the most important way to learn a new language abroad is to connect with the locals. Talking with Spanish friends, and even just texting them in Spanish helped me more than I ever thought. I remembered new phrases so quickly and since they are locals you are truly learning from the best teachers!