Feeling Overwhelmed as a Beginner

Our take

Navigating the world of language learning can feel like stepping into a bustling marketplace where every stall beckons with its own unique sounds and flavors. For those of us looking to connect deeply with family and culture—like you, with your partner's Spanish-speaking family—the journey can be both thrilling and intimidating. Embracing Spanish opens doors not just to conversation but to shared meals, laughter, and connection. It’s completely natural to feel overwhelmed, especially when past experiences with languages have left you questioning your abilities. However, remember that every expert was once a beginner. Your determination to dive into Spanish this summer is a bold step forward!

Hi! For some context, my partner is Mexican and Spanish is his first language. His family, with the exception of his brother and mom, do not speak much English. This makes dinners a bit awkward. We plan on being together long term, so it’s important to me to be able to converse in Spanish at an intermediate level at some point.

Currently, I only really know English. I took German for a couple years in high school and found it really challenging, but I also was only doing it because a language was required at the time. In college, I became about a B1 in ASL. I found this much easier than German, but obviously, it’s completely different than learning a spoken language.

This summer is the first time I’ve had in the past couple years to dedicate time to learning Spanish and it’s my goal! I’ve been doing a deep dive on all the wonderful recommended materials on here.

So, I guess my post is less about the technical aspects and more about how to cope with feeling very intimated at the thought of trying to learn a new language! I think I’ve always told myself it would be to hard, but I’ve been lurking on here for quite some time which has been encouraging.

If you could go back and give yourself some tips or encouragement when you were learning your first language, what would you say?

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Tagged with

#language evolution#philosophy of language#humor in language#creative language use#Spanish#language#learning#beginner#overwhelmed#intimidated#converse#English#encouragement#intermediate level#materials#tips#deep dive#first language#ASL#German