“The limits of my language are the limits of my world.”

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Do you want to know the easiest way to feel left out? Try not having the slightest idea of what someone is talking about. That’s how I felt initially upon traveling to Panama recently. Despite taking 4 years of Spanish in high school and 1 semester in college –I even took  the Spanish Honors course offered my senior year and was inducted into the Spanish Honor Society–I was in for a total shock when I was unable to keep up. Who was I kidding? That was OVER 15 years ago and as the saying goes, if you don’t use it, you lose it. Well, my Spanish “fluency” was not only lost, but it was floating away somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Initially, I did not want to speak Spanish to the natives in fear of sounding, er um, STUPID. Lots of mistakes were made, but I had to make an attempt. On the flip side, I didn’t want to be that ignorant tourist that assumed most people would speak fluent English. Also, not the case. Google Translate  was my BFF – initially. After awhile, I got over it. Mainly because I was lost one too many  times and starving. I practiced asking for directions to local stores and markets and read over the food menus in the restaurants and rehearsed quietly how hard I should roll my R’s.

Prior to traveling to Panama, I stumbled upon Habla Ya which is a language school that offers a 3 week Spanish immersion course. I know I didn’t have 21 days to travel to one location (more like 5 days). I vowed that if I ever had the opportunity to acquire knowledge of another language, I would be serious about my commitment to learning more. When I returned home, I made it my mission to establish some level of fluency with another language other than English. So naturally, I chose Spanish because I had somewhat of a solid foundation.

You may have other motives behind learning a second language. It could be career advancement, cultural connections, cognitive benefits, or all of the above. Regardless of what that reason is, what’s stopping you from tackling your goal starting today? If you’re like me, you cringe at the thought of adding yet another task to your already overcrowded plate.

I decided to compile a list of 5 stress-free strategies and resources to build the bridge to learning another language:

1. Download an app. I asked my brother-in-law, who is fluent in Spanish, about some free resources to help me “sharpen the saw”. He recommended a user friendly app such as Duolingo. Duolingo lets you set goals and allows you to break down study time into smaller increments (5, 10, 15, or 20 minute intervals). It’s an interactive app that allows you to read, write, listen and speak the language. Duolingo also has a podcast that is available.
2. Listen to music in that language. I recall my friend in high school purchasing the Christina Aguilera Spanish album, Mi Reflejo. I played that CD (yes, a compact disc) out! The cool part was that the CD came with the words printed on the insert and I could sing along. It helped that I already knew the words in English, so I was able to make that connection. 
3. Have a conversation with someone that speaks the language more fluently than you do. I must admit that it’s quite intimidating, but the obvious benefits are there. While in Panama, our tour guide Orlando spoke to us in Spanish for the entirety of the tour. He was very patient and repeated questions and phrases A LOT.
4. Read a book or article on a subject matter that interests you. 
5. Practice daily at a minimum of 5-10 minutes helps to develop a daily habit that will be transformative.

Make it fun! Remember, no matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you think you’re progressing, you are lightyears ahead of someone who hasn’t even started and isn’t even trying.

Are you fluent in another language? If so, what language? If you’re not fluent in another language, what language are you eager to learn?