How Has My Spanish Improved Since I Started Learning?
Connecting with others is a very important part of the process of learning Spanish. I don’t mean just making meaningful connections with native speakers, but also other students like you. That’s why we have Eric Bishop answering the question “How has my Spanish improved since I started learning?”
Forget about the clickbait and people trying to sell you unrealistic myths about how fast you can learn Spanish. Take this chance to hear the truth of a real student sharing his Spanish learning progress.
This is the story of Eric Bishop, a WorldsAcross student. He started learning Spanish just two years ago, and he would surprise anybody with his progress. Here you will learn everything you need to know to reach your goals like Eric did.
The beginning of Eric’s Spanish journey
Naturally, we must start at the beginning. If you’re wondering how to measure progress in Spanish, it’s important to remember where you started. In Eric’s case, everything started a little over two years ago.
Back then, Eric Bishop didn’t know Spanish at all. He hadn’t even started his journey! Then, after graduating from college, Eric planned a very exciting trip to Spain. This was his first motivation to learn the language. This trip inspired Eric to take the very first step.
At the beginning, Eric focused on learning the basics of the language. He learned the most important things he would need for his trip. After a couple of months, he could handle very useful sentences and questions. He could say hello and introduce himself to people in Spain, and maybe not get completely lost!
If you are personally wondering how to start, this is a good idea. It is an essential part of the Spanish learning progress to learn practical things. If you are able to use what you learn in real experiences, everything will be much easier to remember. After all, the goal is speaking Spanish in real life, right?
What comes after the first step to learn Spanish?
If you listen to Eric Bishop’s story of “my Spanish before and after”, you’ll be surprised. You’ll wonder how he went from a few practical sentences to Spanish fluency. Lucky for you, our friend Eric shared all the secrets of his progress with us.
Deciding to learn Spanish is the first step, that’s fantastic. But where do you go from there? How can you really move forward and measure your progress in Spanish? These were some of the steps that Eric Bishop took to get here:
- Visit a Spanish-speaking country: This was exactly what changed Eric’s life. That first real contact with Spanish culture convinced him that he really wanted to learn the language.
- Start taking online classes: Of all methods, Eric wisely chose to learn Spanish online. He enjoyed it so much he wanted to keep learning Spanish this way.
- Joining WorldsAcross: When Eric joined WorldsAcross he noticed a significant change. Working with native tutors that felt like new friends really helped him improve his Spanish.
- More Spanish in his life: After falling in love with the language, Eric wanted to add more Spanish to his daily life. He made a lot of Spanish-speaking friends and joined many language exchange reunions.
The obstacles and struggles in the way
We are talking about real life stories from regular students, right? So it is important to acknowledge the obstacles that show up in the journey. If you ask Eric about his Spanish before and after, it’s also important to ask about the things he struggled with. For example:
- Spanish feels too difficult: Starting a new language from scratch can be intimidating. New topics will feel too difficult at first. But, with the right method and support, step by step everything will feel easier.
- Doubting your chance to succeed: This is a very normal feeling. As beginners, it can be overwhelming to think of everything ahead of you. It might feel impossible, but that is not the case at all. You can make it!
- Struggling with motivation: Let’s be honest, nobody feels motivated 24/7, right? It’s okay! This is a common problem, but there are many ways to get past it.
- Feeling isolated: If you are studying Spanish on your own, it’s very possible that you feel discouraged by a feeling of isolation. Fortunately, you really aren’t alone in this process. There’s a vibrant community waiting for you!
There you have it. Now you can see that any problem you might encounter with your Spanish learning progress is normal. You are not alone. In fact, the best answer to how to measure progress in Spanish is looking at the obstacles you conquered.
Any student is capable of overcoming these obstacles. Especially if you have the guidance of an experienced coach like Eric has since he joined WorldsAcross.
Eric’s solutions to these problems
I wouldn’t share with you any problem that I couldn’t offer you a solution for! In this case, let’s see Eric’s answers for “How has my Spanish improved by facing these struggles”:
- Enjoying the process: Eric’s number one piece of advice is to have fun learning Spanish. Think of it as a hobby. Enjoy every moment learning the language!
- Building a habit: Eric admits that some days he doesn’t feel motivated at all to practice Spanish, but he still takes his WorldsAcross classes. He made Spanish a habit, and turned his classes into a regular ritual that he never misses.
- Making Spanish-speaking friends: Eric agrees with us that the best way to learn Spanish is with real conversations with native speakers. He has new Spanish-speaking friends but the first ones? His WorldsAcross tutors!
- Traveling to Spanish-speaking countries: Since he started learning Spanish, Eric traveled to Spain, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. What’s next? He is planning to visit Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile!
How has my Spanish Improved with WorldsAcross?
Two years ago, Eric Bishop couldn’t speak Spanish at all. Today, he can have enthusiastic, meaningful, and very fun conversations with a native speaker. He credits his success to about 200-300 hours of Spanish classes on WorldsAcross.
To answer the question “My Spanish before and after WorldsAcross”, Eric points out a great change. The first time he traveled to Spain two years ago, the most he could do was ask for directions. Three months ago, he visited Mexico and he was able to form genuine connections with native speakers.
That’s Eric advice on how to measure progress in Spanish, through the friends you make. To Eric, nothing can compare or replace the experience of talking to native tutors. These people offered him the motivation and the fun conversations that he couldn’t find anywhere else.
Lastly, after sharing the answer to the question of “how has my Spanish improved since I started learning”, Eric Bishop has a message for new students. He understands that it can be difficult, and he wants you to know that being nervous or anxious to start speaking Spanish is completely normal.
The biggest help Eric had in his process to deal with that anxiety to speak Spanish was the support of his tutors, who became real friends to him. Anyone can book a class with a WorldsAcross tutor and feel for themselves that supportive experience. Give it a try!
Most importantly, Eric wants every person starting to learn Spanish to know that taking the time to learn works. He knows that when you take your time and you slowly but surely improve your Spanish, you feel much more confident, and you will have so much more fun.