Today, we'll cover the 3 toxic myths about learning Spanish that all beginners MUST break away from to stop making excuses and start embracing their new life in Spain.
Getting your mindset right is the #1 thing you have to conquer if you want to succeed in learning Spanish. As the popular saying goes, "You are your worst enemy and best asset" ?
From coaching many clients over the past 5 years, I can tell you that the best and most successful clients are those with the right mindset and attitude, who aren't plagued by incorrect beliefs about Spanish learning.
It's myth-busters time, my friend!
Time to align your mindset and make things right ?
Myth #1: "I can find all the information I need online?
Is this true? Well if you spend months and months researching and testing, perhaps you can.
Many have tried that and failed actually, so let me share with you the most common problems with that myth?
#1. You don't know what you don't know:
Yes - the information is all out there.
The answer to JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING is out there.
So why isn't everyone speaking Spanish yet?
The answer is simple: They do not know who to listen to and what's actually correct.
Sometimes, you don't even know what you are supposed to be looking for!
#2. The journey is often incomplete.
To comfortably live in Spain speaking Spanish, you require a complete set of strategies that all work together to help you with what I call? the 4 C?s:
- The Concepts (grammar & vocabulary)
- The Confidence (feeling ready to speak when you need it)
- The Connection (building relationships with your local Spanish community)
- The Culture (understanding how to connect with the Spanish community)
Most of the information online only focuses on the Concepts without offering support in the other parts of the equation.
I have been doing this for a long time so I know that Grammar & Vocabulary alone don?t work as it is highly unlikely that you will fully embrace your new life in Spain by knowing lots of adjectives, adverbs & prepositions.
Myth #2: ?I?m not good with languages?.
This is SO not true.
I?d dare to guess that you are a grown-up who went through high education, passed your driven test and have managed to create a somewhat prosperous life.
If that?s the case, then guess what? there is nothing wrong with your capacity for learning Spanish!
It?s all about your mindset. ?
?Oh my God, I?m a bit embarrassed if I make a mistake! Oh no! I?m just not talented??
If your attitude is not conducive to getting the hard, often uncomfortable work done and to learn the Spanish you need? then yes, this is not going to work for you.
So stop that sh*t ? it?s pretty simple? Learn it. Use it. Get on with it.
Fun fact
?? The U.K. is a country famously monolingual, where most people think they can?t speak languages and don?t even want to try.
But I have personally worked with many clients from the U.K. who after working on their mindset and with the right guidance? they still managed to learn Spanish while enjoying the process.
So I don't see why you can't either!
Myth #3: ?I don?t have time to study?
No way! - I have heard this time and again that to learn Spanish you need to carve hours of studying time in your already busy schedule. ?
This is a myth because to learn a language you benefit more from frequent & short revision sessions rather than long studying sittings.
I feel that people have this misconception because they associate learning Spanish with what they remember from college or university.
But the truth is that with the proper system, guidance and materials, learning could take only a few minutes a day!
As my private clients could tell you, all they need to learn Spanish is 20-30mins of study time 3-4 times a week.
I do most of the thinking for them to minimise the procrastination & distraction and all they have to do is follow my detailed done-for-you study plan that tells them exactly what to study, revise, practice or play each day.
So you don?t need to cancel your gym membership, lose hours of sleep or sacrifice time with your family to study Spanish for hours!
All it takes is a bit of strategic pre-planning and preparation.
Why is believing in these 3 myths problematic?
Because believing in these 3 myths will cripple you from taking action the right action.
Your confidence gets affected, you don't seek guidance, and subsequently, you never begin your Spanish learning journey as a result.
As someone who does Spanish coaching for a living, I have seen breakthrough after breakthrough and I know that is not difficult, people just don't have the right guidance to succeed when it comes to learning Spanish.
They search for stuff online fruitlessly, and when that doesn't work, they give up.
Then, they blame it on themselves, thinking they are not good or smart enough.
No!
How else will there be thousands of other international professionals based in Spain that speak confidently in everyday situations if it was so hard? So they are all geniuses?
No... they did it with the right strategies and through pure hard work.
It's about learning the right strategies and putting in the work.
So listen to me?You can do this! ??
Don't for a second doubt yourself.
What did you think of the 3 myths I chose?
Did you agree or disagree with me?
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Get involved in the comments or even better, let me know directly by emailing me at jaime@ablaacademy.com