El Patio Spanish Language School

What was your motivation to start learning Spanish?

I was looking for a hobby to do outside of work and someone suggested learning a language, which I thought was a good idea and would be a good long term project.

I chose Spanish because it's spoken in a lot of countries which I'm interested in visiting.

When did you begin?

I started two and a half years ago.

How did you start - group classes, online, CD, book, podcasts, in the street ...?

I started off with beginner classes at El Patio and then expanded on that by starting to read articles in Spanish on the web, watching clips on YouTube and buying some books full of grammar exercises, which I do at home.

Have you travelled or lived in a Spanish speaking country?

I've traveled to Spain, Mexico & Cuba.

Do you have a current goal, and if so, what is it?

My goal is to reach a level where I can have long, rich and meaningful conversations with other Spanish speakers and put the skill to use in my travels.

Do you have a particular study schedule apart from your group class?

With work and other outside activities it's hard to follow a study schedule, so I just do as much reading and revision of what I've learnt each day.

What do you think is the most challenging thing about learning Spanish?

Being able to think in Spanish and getting your brain to stop doing a Spanish to English to Spanish conversion every time you hear something and then respond back.

What do you think your strengths and weaknesses are for learning Spanish?

I would say my strengths are that I keep trying even though I know I'll make a lot of mistakes along the way and if there is something I don't understand I keep working away at it until I do.

I would say my weakness is that I revert back to English too quickly if I get stuck when speaking in Spanish.

What is your most effective method for memorisation?

Basically its all down to repetition. Keep going over and reusing what you've learnt.

What are or have been your most helpful resources? (eg, podcasts, songs, books, websites ...)

The Practise Makes Perfect range of Spanish grammar books are great. They are easy to follow and have heaps of exercises to do.

Websites like BBC Mundo and Muy Interesante have lot's of articles you can read.

YouTube has lots of clips and cartoons you can find in Spanish.

I found a Spanish speaker overseas through a language exchange website, who I correspond with via e-mail. It's a great way to practise and improve your writing skills.

What is your advice for anybody starting out learning Spanish?

Accept that you'll make mistakes and don't be too hard on yourself.

Treat it as a hobby and not a chore.

Look at it as a long term project and aim to keep improving over time rather than in a really short period eg. a month

Learn by doing a combination of things rather than just sticking to one method. Take classes, read articles you find interesting, speak in Spanish every opportunity you get, etc.