Por: Marcela Grobet Vallarta

* Originalmente publicado en la revista Expat México.

Perhaps you don’t really feel that you have to learn Spanish if you’re living in Mexico. After all, there’s always a way to move around with English. You’ll frequently find some nice server or clerk who speaks your language or someone who will really try hard to understand your short phrases in Spanish with the use of some gestures. After all, isn’t English the lingua franca nowadays?

I am pretty sure you are aware of the many reasons why learning the local language is important: showing respect for the people, having a taste for the culture and making your life easier, among others. Yes, I’m totally aware that learning Spanish can be awfully difficult: each language has its tricky parts and Spanish is no different, of course. However, and with all due respect, I have always had a better opinion of those expats who at least try to learn a bit of my language and my culture. Sorry, folks, you are here not as tourists, but to be a part of a community, at least for a while.

Even though some studies say that if you want to master a new knowledge —whichever this might be—you need 10 thousand hours, the first 20 hours provide the basic knowledge so that you can start moving around with confidence and, who knows, you might get the inspiration you need to go for another 20… and another 20… So here are my 7 tips to start learning Spanish.

1. Get yourself a personal language coach

You don’t want to waste time learning things that won’t be useful for your very personal situation and lifestyle. A language coach, and more specifically a Neurolanguage Coach®, will adapt the language to your needs and learning style. We have the knowledge on neurosciences and coaching to help you set clear, reachable goals. She will make grammar look simple by chunking it down in digestible pieces, she will find activities that you enjoy doing and help you associate the new knowledge with your mother tongue. Just make sure your coach has some knowledge of your language.

2. Set goals that you can reach in a 20-hour period of study

Let’s suppose that you are a very busy person and that you can’t be sitting studying for long periods of time. How would you feel with two sessions a week, one hour each? This means that in 10 weeks you will have reached your goal. Your Neurolanguage Coach® will help you identify the most important language structures and functions so that you can start feeling part of the community.

3. Start by learning some useful phrases and everyday vocabulary

Do you frequently go to the local grocery store? How do you ask for basic things? Do you have young children? You might want to have some small talk with parents, teachers or school employees. Even though it might be a bilingual school, not everybody will speak English! Have you hired the services of a cleaning lady? How about being able to communicate with her? Think of a few basic dialogues and practice them. Of course, conversations can be so different and even unpredictable, but you will be amazed on how much they follow a specific pattern.

4. Find the patterns

Even though Spanish might seem complicated, you will soon discover that it isn’t —that much. After all, there are some patterns in everything: feminine nouns end in –a, masculine nouns end in -o (yep, there are irregular nouns like in every language); there are three verb endings: -ar, -er, -ir (once you learn these three groups, life will be much easier!) There are many irregular verbs, but my advice here is that you start with ser and estar (be), tener (have) and ir (go) and, once again, find the patterns! And the best of all: it is read as it is written, no surprises here!

5. Create associations

Spanish is a Romance language, which means that it is derived from Latin and Greek. Can you think of words in English (or your mother tongue) that are derived from these two languages? Perhaps you’ll have to go to the more academic or scientific knowledge, but you’ll be amazed on the number of words and structures which are similar!

6. Practice, practice, practice

Of course, if you dedicate some extra time between sessions, your language will become much better! After all, you can take advantage of living in Mexico, get a language friend to practice (a neighbor perhaps), watch programs or listen to the news in Spanish, and try to use the language in your daily activities as much as possible. After all, we Mexicans will understand that you are learning the language and appreciate your effort! Another useful tip: how about exchanging languages? You help me with my learning, I help you with yours.

7. Go for another 20 hour-goal!

Once you have reached your first goal, I am pretty sure you will feel inspired to go for the next 20 hours! Learning a language can be exciting, it will keep your brain active and healthy, and you will be making thousands of new brain connections. Talk to your Neurolanguage Coach®, and together you will set new time-wise goals to move forward in this amazing voyage of discovery.