Spanish Milestones in Costa Rica

I’ve reached an interesting milestone in my Spanish learning. I’m now spending about three hours at a time talking with my teacher entirely in Spanish. That’s something I honestly wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to do.

Now, before anyone gets the wrong impression, let me qualify that a bit. I understand her pretty well. The rest of the Spanish-speaking world…not quite as well.

I think that’s because she speaks good, clear Spanish. People in everyday life don’t necessarily do that. They speak faster, they mumble, they use regional slang, and sometimes they seem to leave half the words out of the sentence altogether.

My theory is that if I get really good at understanding clear Spanish, eventually I’ll get better at understanding the less-than-clear Spanish, too. I may eventually have to start deliberately listening to people who speak quickly just to train my ear.

Mark Edgington in Costa Rica

After about twenty years in broadcasting, my hearing isn’t what it used to be. So when I meet Spanish speakers, I usually ask them to speak clearly, speak slowly, and speak loudly. Thankfully, most people are more than willing to do that.

As for studying, I’ve essentially finished my third textbook. At this point my teacher keeps telling me that conversation is more valuable than another chapter of grammar. I’m sure there are still plenty of verb tenses waiting to surprise me, but actually using the language has become the priority.

That’s been one of the biggest lessons of this whole experience. You can study vocabulary all day long, but sooner or later you have to start talking. It’s awkward at first, then it’s challenging, and eventually you look up and realize you’ve been carrying on a conversation for three hours.

That’s a pretty good feeling.

— Mark Edgington

Mark Edgington is a nationally syndicated broadcaster, commentator, writer, husband, and father. He writes about family, civic life, community service, travel, and lessons learned through experience.

This article also appears on Medium where you can learn more about Mark Edgington’s ongoing work.