October:
I am SHOCKED I don’t have any updates since July. What happened to me Jk I know what happened it’s called a JOB hahahahaha.
I also never updated about my trip to Mexico Spanish wise but now it’s been so long idk what to say lolol. Basically-- I could understand more stuff than a year ago but was way to scare to talk to anyone lol. Also made some embarassing mistakes when I did try to speak heh but it is what it is. I wish I was more confident but I’m not surprised. Buuuut I did get a lot of input while there and I could kind of keep up with the convos happening around me. So def much better than last time where I was sitting and letting sounds wash over me without being able to pick anything out besides obvious cognates haha.
I realllly fell off on my Spanish after Mexico-- I needed a break lol. And then also Life Stuff happened at the same time so I needed to just not think about anything ahhahah. But now it is October and I’m trying to get back on track a bit and do ~30 min. of podcast listening on my commute. I’m too lazy to log each day so the tracking is all over the place haha so the daily log isn’t accurate.
Big update-- I just about finished “Learn Spanish and Go” which is devastating news for my input lol. I have about 20 more episodes to go before I catch up to their most recent episode. I have chosen How to Spanish as my next podcast, but theres so many eps (and the old ones arent always numbered…) I’m not going to listen in order like I usually do. Will pick a spot and go in order from there.
Fun: I said this in my last Spanish post “This def feels harder than Learn Spanish and Go-- one ep I gave up bc I had no idea what was happening. Another felt good but it was just fast enough that my brain couldn’t rest trying to process everything haha. I think that can be good sometimes tho.”
But now I listen and can keep up! It’s def faster than Learn Spanish and Go, them both being native speakers, but the topics are more interesting (not just about culture stuff lol) and they are funnier (sorry Jaime).
OH! And I can actually watch some Youtube channels in Spanish. I have only really watched language learning videos, but it’s fun to see that I can understand natives talk about a topic I know about lol.
On my list of Spanish podcasts to try:
- Spanish al Vuelo
- Spanish que chivo
- Spanish Boost
- Slow Dominican Spanish
- Languatalk
- Español con Juan
I also tried but didn’t really like
- Charlas hispanas: prob too hard for me lol tho I only listened to one ep and it was about coffee so I also didn’t really care abt it
- Blanca to go: solo presenter and short episodes. Also Spanish accent I think so meh
- Español a la Mexicana: solo presenter and v short episodes
Also now I’m back at work and talking a bit in Spanish when needed.
Work stuff
- It’s nice that I can understand the Spanish speakers, because I can help them say what they are trying to say in English or I can answer their question in English. Some natural crosstalk ends up happening lol.
- Some people who I talk to are brand new to the country. And while I can ask someone else to translate for me, sometimes it’s just faster/more clear if I use my baby spanish to communicate (since the people I’m asking to translate are also English learners, things sometimes get miscontrued…). Though my concern is that since June I have a ton more Spanish input, but the sentences I make sound the same to me…and I never know if what I am saying is correct, bc obviously the listeners just get my point and follow my instruction/say okay to the information I’m giving them. So it’s good that they get my point, but I’d like to be a little more accurate ahhaha.
- Didn’t really happen before, but now I’m getting people not wanting to try in English…since they’ve realized the level of Spanish I can understand (also rlly cute how I’ve noticed some people I can understand more than others-- so the people I can understand more I’ve interacted with more…they must be leveling their language for me heh). Since my goal is for them to actually use English, it’s kind of a problem. So now I’ve had to just be like ok…try asking me again in English, please? to them which is kinda eugh to have to say.
- Wait this language log has gone off the rails LMAO oop
OH and I said I’d read Esperanza Renace as part of the book club and have not…yet…but I still want to!! I suck at reading (even reading the transcripts of the podcasts I understand 98% of is a struggle) and kind of want to knock out a few graded readers first.
Tho!! I did start Strawberry Moon La hija de la luna and it’s a great level for me!! So my plan is to pick at that for a bit and see how it feels. I have sooo many books I want to read in Spanish but my primary goal is listening/speaking so we’ll see. I also kind of want to try a diff method than I learned Korean with (textbooks, classes) for the sake of science heh.
As for Korean…we don’t talk about Korean ok I’m just barely holding things together with Spanish. I refuse to think about my bingo nor do the 2025 goal check in update thingy. If I ignore it, it’ll go away, right?
