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Learning a second language can be daunting. There’s a misconception that once we become adults it’s impossible, or at least very difficult, to learn another language. The brain is much more capable than we give it credit for. What we have to do is contradict the messages we hear constantly growing up, that we have to go to college, get married, settle down, finish our studies and move on. I would say, don’t do that.. exactly. I would say take a chance, get out of your comfort zone, be different, and be curious! Not everyone is the same. Take time to discover yourself and the world.
By challenging yourself to learn another language you open up a new exceptional way to view the world. It tests the cognitive and creative parts of your brain. It is a great opportunity to challenge yourself and grow individually. And to connect with even more people from around the globe. From personal experience a second language has opened up the way I see the world, by giving me a new set of vocabulary and a whole bunch of new friends and connections through living, working, and sharing together.
Everyone has their own process as well. That is another lesson I learned, that everyone processes and learns differently, it is not a race and you cannot be tested as you typically would be in school. In this article I will talk a bit about the two best ways to learn Spanish, specifically in Guatemala!
As I have mentioned, everyone’s experience is bound to be a little bit different. My two recommendations highlight giving yourself the liberty to go at your own pace, while at the same time putting yourself in positions and opportunities that will push you out of what you may feel comfortable with initially.
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First up, is the typical route people choose when traveling to Guatemala to learn Spanish. This is to attend Spanish Immersion School. There are many schools that have amazing reviews in cities throughout Guatemala. I’d like to mention the two I went to, Antiguena in Antigua and Corazon Maya in San Pedro La Laguna. This is the most straightforward option. You pay weekly, specifying how many hours per day, what level you are, if you want to be one-on-one, staying with a local host family, etc. This provides a lot of structure and is great starting out. The teachers can start from the basics and teach up to the most complex and vocabulary specific lessons. It is solely focused on you and what you want, and a heavy focus on grammar. Which is then complemented by sharing a home and meals with a host family, where you can practice what you learn each day as well as share in normal everyday conversation and learn about their culture first hand. The beauty of this option of Spanish school is the ability to stay as long as you’d like (there will always be more to learn), the variety in experiences, and structure that is necessary when starting out something new.
Now one thing I would like to advocate for while learning Spanish, is talking to random people. Taking advantage of everyday interactions and practicing at any chance you can. Focusing on consistently speaking Spanish, this can be a challenge sometime at school due to a lot of native English speakers being present. For that reason, I bring up another great way to learn Spanish in Guatemala.
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Take the time you have in this beautiful country to volunteer with a cause you believe in. There are many locations to volunteer while in Guatemala. A few I have heard of working in are agriculture, orphanages, teaching in schools, hostel work, and mission work. This is my greatest advice, by volunteering you are forced to actively learn while working alongside other like-minded Spanish speakers. This on its own will broaden your vocabulary and help you realize that just like English speakers, they don’t all speak 100% grammatically correct, and have a lot of slang. You will learn how to hold conversations in an organic way and learn from experience instead of strategically organized courses. Let me tell you, sharing experiences and building relationships fully in another language is one of the best feelings. Something that can be unsettling at first is thinking people will be annoyed or impatient with you. From my experience, everyone is so very happy to help! They understand, mostly from trying to learn English, how tough it can be. That is just another lesson you learn along the way, to be comfortable with humility.
With both of these ways to learn Spanish it is important to remind yourself. IT’S A WHOLE NEW LANGUAGE! So have grace, be patient, and take this time to re-learn the world. Be present and be open. There is a whole lot more the world has to offer us than we think, we just have to be open to the fact that we don’t know it all.
And for the best results, do both! Immersive school and work. Take advantage of every opportunity and take chances. Stay curious and open to humility.
