Why I can't speak Spanish after studying it for years?

How learning Spanish is like climbing a mountain

If doesn't happen very often but every now and then I have a student who decides to start having lessons with me after years wanting to learn Spanish but soon enough the student starts canceling lessons and showing lack of interest and what was an attempt of having lessons weekly ends in one lesson a month or less.  Slowly, the student's commitment to learn Spanish drops and stops doing even enjoyable things on his/her own such as watching Spanish movies, doing some practical exercises at home, trying to speak Spanish with locals, etc. However, after a year the student asks: "It has been a year, shouldn't I be fluent by know?" and then the reality hits because that student hasn't been studying Spanish for a year. I don't blame her/him, live sometimes gets on our way but we need to be honest with ourselves and to admit how much time we have really invested in learning Spanish. 

When studying Spanish or any foreign language we can't count the days, weeks or months that we have been wanting to speak the language but the hours that we have made an effort in achieving our goal. When you are honest with yourself you can see how much you have done and eventually you need to admit that you haven't invested a year in leaning Spanish but 6 or 8 hours instead.

Photo by Mark McGregor

There are many things that we can do to keep moving forwards, a teacher will help you with this but you can do many things on your own that don't cost money but commitment and effort. So if you have asked yourself that question and realised that the truth is not that you have been studying Spanish for years but for a few hours try to find out if you really want to learn Spanish, if you would really enjoy practicing by speaking Spanish with natives and if so try to know yourself and define what you can do about it.

​To learn Spanish is like climbing a mountain. Think about the people around you that can help: your Spanish speaking friends and family, the people in that Spanish speaking country that you love, the teacher that will guide you to the top... you can really have a lot of support but remember that the person who has to use all the body and mind is you because one thing is to wish and want to climb the mountain and another very different thing is to actually do it.