Language, at its core, is an expression of life.

Language gives life to people and people give life to language. Each language is born of the places in which it is spoken, and so, when you begin to understand a language that is not your own, you are a guest welcomed into the inner world it inhabits. You are no longer just looking at it from the outside in; but sitting at its table and sharing in its meal. 

Life and language are constant mirrors for one another, and in this piece I will share with you some of the reflections I see. 

Spanish is the great love of my life. It first captured my heart when I was a child and I have followed it ever since. Learning the ways of this beautiful tongue has been a key to unlocking a fascinating world otherwise unbeknownst to me. The experiences that Spanish has given me has not only taught me a skill, but has taught me how to better handle the challenges of life.

Just like life, learning a language is a journey. It is not linear, but instead one defined by ups and downs, detours and redirections. There are often wonderful moments of satisfaction (like when someone asks you for directions in your target language and you know how to respond with ease), which are met often in the same breath with moments of misunderstandings and miscommunications (you send them the wrong way because you mixed up the words right and left). Much like in life, it is from these mishaps that you can learn the most; each mistake paving the way for more understanding. 

There are many roadblocks along the journey of life and language, but the biggest ones are always the ones we place upon ourselves.

Often, language learners have a better understanding than they realise and an even greater desire to learn, but their fear of getting it wrong stops them from speaking it. And this is understandable; this is the human inclination. But too many of us miss out on the joy of speaking a language because we are too scared of making mistakes. In the same way, so many of us miss out on life because we are scared of being imperfect. Nor in life or in language is perfection possible; and aiming to achieve it will only stop you from progressing further along the path and from noticing how far you’ve already come. 

When I tell people I speak Spanish, I regularly receive the question “Are you fluent?” “Yes”, I tell them- still half unsure- an awkward pride that has came after years of answering: “No, but I’m getting there.” 

Fluency is placed on a pedestal: the holy grail of language learners. It is the common goal that we are taught to share, the perceived final stop on the language journey. However, in reality, fluency is an elusive concept.

A common misconception, which I believed for years, was that once you have achieved fluency, you’ve achieved mastery. You’ve completed it. Done. You’ve got your fluency badge, you’re welcomed to the fluency club, and now that you’re here- you can’t lose your place. However, now that I’ve fought for my entry into the imaginary club- I realise that fluency in a language is not so much a level that you reach, but a state of being you embody. And like all states of being, fluency has a tendency to eb and flow. 

Learning a language is like having a plant, if you don’t tend to it, it will wither. There are very few learnt skills in this life that are any different. In order to maintain your language level, you must keep going. You must show up consistently. You must make an effort and you must try new things. Much like in life, if you want to progress, you must keep going along the path, regardless of the detours and roadblocks. Fluency does not equal perfection. Fluency, at its core, means flow; and that is all we are ever trying to achieve in language and in life: a sense of flow. 

The next time someone asks me if I’m fluent, I may start answering “Yes, and I’m still getting there”. Because even after years of having Spanish in my life- I still feel like I’m getting there. In fact, I always will be.

For in life and in language, you never quite “get there”. There will always be more to discover. There will always be mistakes to be made and lessons to yield from them. No one masters life completely, just in the same way that no one masters a language completely. Enlightenment and fluency are both flawed concepts; in both language and in life, there will always be more to learn and room to grow. And that is the joy of the journey.

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If you have read this far, perhaps you too feel a call to learn a new language, or perhaps you are already along your language journey. In July 2024 I will be launching an 8 week online course -Your Spanish Journey- which will be a combination of language learning and mindset for those with a desire to learn Spanish.

More information coming soon- but if you are interested and want to learn more, feel free to get in touch: yourspanishjourneystartshere@gmail.com

Hasta prontito 🤍