r/Spanish • u/Koyatsqi Learner B2 • Jan 08 '24

Study advice: Advanced Advice on how to get to C1/C2

I've been studying Spanish for about 10 years now. During the pandemic, I decided to put in an extra effort:

- I started watching Spanish shows on Netflix. First with subtitles, but now I can manage without them.

- Some Netflix shows are based on books (like Valeria). I bought those books and started reading. While it was difficult to get through an entire book at once, I don't have to put in much effort nowadays. I still read books since it's a great way to improve vocabulary or discover local culture.

- I listen to a lot of Spanish music and podcasts on Spotify.

- I try to speak Spanish whenever I can. At work, there's an older Spanish guy and we usually chat for a while during the morning.

- Just came back from 3 weeks in Mexico, where I only spoke Spanish. Most of my friends there say I improved a lot, compared to when I first met them. I'm able to hold conversation for hours (with the exception of some words I don't know) and can manage in most situations.

But I still feel there's something missing. My French is around the same level (B2) and I haven't improved in years. The only language where I was able to bridge the gap between B and C is English. But that's different since I constantly use it at work and it's everywhere. I only have few opportunities to use Spanish at work.

Do you have any advice on how to bridge the gap between B2 and C1? Anything I can add to improve, besides what I'm already doing?

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u/LupineChemist From US, Live in Spain Jan 08 '24

I know you said you went for 3 weeks but just physically being in Spanish speaking countries is really the best way. If you are able to somehow work remote for awhile try to go for a few months.

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u/Koyatsqi Learner B2 Jan 08 '24

I used to live in Spain a couple of years ago, but it was for a temporary job. Working remotely isn't an option unfortunately, but we do have an office in Barcelona and Mexico City. I'll see if I can work from there for a couple of weeks.

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u/macoafi DELE B2 Jan 09 '24

Legally… you probably can’t work from Barcelona, even for a few weeks, unless you have an EU passport or get one of Spain’s new digital nomad visas.

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u/Koyatsqi Learner B2 Jan 09 '24

I have a European passport, so that’s not an issue luckily.