Cranking up his Spanish

In this post, language educator Scott Thornbury recounts his journey learning Spanish. He has a background in language acquisition and pedagogy. Yet, he still needs help becoming fluent. Though motivated, Thornbury needed help with aspects of vocabulary and pronunciation. He credits his success to practising conversations and immersing himself in Spanish culture. Thornbury makes the often idealized process of learning another language. He does this by documenting the frustrations and breakthroughs. His reflections emphasize the significance of motivation. They also stress meaningful engagement with native materials and speakers. While expertise can inform expectations, language learning remains an imperfect, individualized process. The author shares his personal experience. He invites readers to reflect on their journey to bilingualism.

Further reading at his blog.