relearn spanish

I have been revisiting old textbooks, reading “real” books in Spanish (slowly, with a dictionary nearby), and generally driving my kids up a wall with Univision on the TV. I’d still say I am rusty, but I don’t feel as bad about it as I did when I first put this on my list.

The first time I went to college (at the University of Delaware, a million years ago when I was young), my major was Foreign Language and Literatures, 3 Language Concentration, and Spanish was my primary language. I loved speaking Spanish and I was pretty fluent, with a decent accent too. I wasn’t shy about practicing on anyone who would let me. Then I dropped out of college, got married, divorced, remarried… fast forward… and I haven’t spoken or written a word of Spanish in nearly 15 years. Rusty doesn’t even begin to describe it! Now even when I have an opportunity, I just can’t bring myself to try to put a sentence together. I want to fix this. Speaking, reading, and writing Spanish used to be part of my identity, and losing that has left a hole in me, even if it wasn’t my native language. I want that part of myself back!