I can’t get the image of that two American girls speaking japanese in an elevator out of my head. Hilarious, yes. In this post, friend and guest blogger Brittany Richardson-Don (Linguistadores), tells us about second opportunities in language learning and how useful they can be,specially  when we have the previous experience of studying abroad having journeyed  that road language before. As she says «Get out there and start living in it!».

In high school I had a choice between Spanish and Japanese. My best friend and I opted for Japanese because – no joke – we imagined it would be more intriguing to see two American girls speaking Japanese in an elevator than speaking Spanish. Spanish seemed ‘common’ and yet I didn’t understand how useful it could be. Neither did any of our instructors take the time to tell us.

My one year foreign language requirement consisted primarily of learning two Japanese alphabets and a handful of basic phrases. I was neither encouraged nor personally motivated to continue my foreign language studies. That mid-day class buried within all the other experiences of a 16-year-old girl could have easily been the entire summation of my language learning experience. Fortunately for me, the past 10 years presented more opportunities to enrich my life with other languages and the new worlds they open up. I took the long way around. If I could do it over again, I would have done it differently…

There are so many amazing opportunities I wish I had known about when I was younger and when life was a bit more flexible. When I reflect on these, it wasn’t difficult to come up with a scenario which could have made living, working, and traveling abroad much smoother. I hope others can use this as inspiration in order to say ‘I’m glad I did’ rather than ‘I wish I would have’…

…chosen Spanish in high school

Besides being increasingly relevant in the United States, where I come from, speaking Spanish would have opened doors all over the world, from Havana to Barcelona to Buenos Aires. Even if Spanish didn’t turn out to be a passion, I would have had a great foundation for other Latin languages.

…maintained my level throughout university

When you invest time and energy into something, it’s painful to wake up one day and realize it’s gone. Knowing myself, I wouldn’t want major in Spanish, but I would have kept my proficiency level up with a refresher course or two. Since I went to university in Southern California, I would have taken advantage of volunteer and work opportunities that required Spanish. I would also start immersing myself in Spanish music, shows, media, and culture before I…

…studied abroad

I actually did study abroad, but in Italy. Instead of building a foundation in Italian ahead of time, I took courses once there. My lack of experience with Latin languages – and, really, languages at all – prevented me from getting to a point where I could really use Italian. Spanish would have helped with this, but most likely I would have chosen to study in Spain and prepared well before I went.

…taken an immersion course

An immersion course like Syllabus offers is an exciting and challenging way to really connect with the language while living there. Based on my experience in Italy, it would have been excellent to get to know the country, the city, the people, before settling in for half a year study abroad. Simple things like trying all sorts of foods, meeting new people, and learning the vocabulary related to things I’m interested in would help me jump-start thinking and communicating about my daily life in Spanish. With more independence and confidence, I would have had an even more rich experience!

…stay connected to Spanish culture

My level would probably be pretty good after a half year of speaking Spanish every day. I wouldn’t want it to waste away…but I also wouldn’t want or need ongoing courses. I am always on the go – work, volunteering, cooking, traveling, and, of course, necessary down-time. I don’t have a lot of time for things that aren’t critical, so I would have to find a way to make Spanish a part of my daily life. There are plenty of opportunities for this: getting my news from a Spanish newspaper instead of an English one; dining in authentic tapas bars where I could practice with the staff; watching Spanish movies; and – of course – listening to Latino music. The fact is, whatever I can do in English, I can do in Spanish.

Knowing now that I would end up in Europe to live and work, I would have made the most of the opportunities I had while I was young to study, travel, and continue to learn in a way that was sustainable in the long-term.

Unfortunately, I can’t go back in time, but I can take these lessons to mind now! I live in the Netherlands and while I didn’t have an immersion program like Syllabus to get me started, I have been trying to live my life in a way that is connected to Dutch culture – I get my news in Dutch, listen to Dutch music, browse recipe websites in Dutch, and have a can’t-miss show. It’s all around me. And since these are things I do for fun, maintaining and improving my Dutch is a nice side-effect to relaxing rather than a dull item on my to-do list.

I encourage you to consider every opportunity for growth and learning seriously – and remember that languages belong in the realm of ‘real life’ not locked in the realm of ‘academics’. Get out there and start living in it. Syllabus and Linguistadores are here to help.

Brittany Richardson-Don is what she calls an ‘unlikely language learner’. In 2012 she met two others whose believed that learning a language could be more relevant. Together they founded Linguistadores.com, where authentic news, music, and videos help you improve your proficiency by making the language a part of your daily life. It feels like leisure not study. Check it out.