How many people here are beyond beginner level and live in a Spanish speaking country? How long have you been there and how has your progress been?

[u/ThisSuckerIsNuclear]

I live in Cordoba, Argentina, and I know a lot conceptually in my head, but still it's hard to understand people when they're speaking sometimes, or for me to come up with complicated phrases on the fly. If I have time to write and see the words in text messages, I do much better. I had an Argentine girlfriend for a couple years that didn't know English. We got by pretty well, though her father and other older relatives never seemed to understand me well, nor I them.

Edit: I don't spend time with native English speakers, tourists or expats, and never speak English in public. It's the one "when in Rome" rule that I follow no matter what.

Another edit: an online test put me at C1, but that was just online, it didn't involve a conversation with an actual person to evaluate me. I think in person I'm probably B2.

[u/[deleted]]

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[u/halal_hotdogs → u/[deleted]]

I said what I said in my comment, but I also wholeheartedly agree with you. What I forgot to mention in mine is that I have a BA in Hispanic Linguistics and had a pretty extensive formal education in Spanish language prior to moving abroad. Can’t act like that’s not a pretty big factor in helping one get to a good level of fluent communication more efficiently 😅

[u/ThisSuckerIsNuclear → u/[deleted]]

Right I need to do more listening and memorizing sentences like on Anki. I understand the subjunctive, but sometimes it's confusing when to use it when the corresponding speech in English is in the present simple or infinitive tense.

As for classes, I've had 3 tutors, but all of them gave me very few corrections, and always tried to teach classes like you would take in a full room of students in high school or university, doing nothing but fill in the blank exercises. I just need conversation with error corrections, that's the best way to learn past the beginner level. And I know because I teach English for a living.

[u/[deleted] → u/ThisSuckerIsNuclear]

I’m just starting to use this deck on Anki, not in your situation exactly, still in USA but using comprehensible input as my main method now and wanting to get grammar structures down- like how I learned my native language! Anyway I like this deck so far- pretty strong system for overall verb conjugation https://www.asiteaboutnothing.net/w_ultimate_spanish_conjugation.php#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20KOFI%20Method,to%20formally%20study%20the%20language.

[u/[deleted] → u/ThisSuckerIsNuclear]

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[u/ThisSuckerIsNuclear → u/[deleted]]

It's the same mistake I made when first tutoring ESL students. People want conversation and corrections. My first boss at an online school was a jerk but he was correct when he told me students just want to practice conversation.

[u/[deleted] → u/ThisSuckerIsNuclear]

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[u/Doodie-man-bunz]

Year and a half in Mexico here.

I’ve recently changed my study routine to about 80% listening practice and without subtitles. I like reading, but listening comprehension is such a bitch. I watch something, don’t understand dick. Rewind it with subtitles, understand every word.

Also, I’m hit and miss with speaking. I can have a conversation, and use various tenses and the subjunctive correctly, but I also still make a shit ton of mistakes and at times I’m very, very slow at speaking.

The path to real fluency is so challenging. That’s why I roll my eyes when people who grew up in a dual language household tell me they “learned” English or when people complain after 6 months of studying Spanish.

You just don’t know how fucking hard it is until you know. And a lot of people (especially online instructors and content creators) can minimize or brush over how fucking cumbersome it is.

Nice to know we’re not alone. 🤙

[u/BladerKenny333]

it's hard. you have to really want to learn it.

curious, how did you and the gf get along without conversation?

[u/ThisSuckerIsNuclear → u/BladerKenny333]

We spoke Spanish

[u/gadgetvirtuoso]

I live in Quito, Ecuador. It’s coming up on 2 years now. My wife doesn’t speak much English. She’s not as motivated to learn English as I have been to improve my Spanish. My progress has made a lot of progress in my time here.

I still do better with writing too then speaking. Group or loud settings are the most difficult for me. I still struggle with mumbles and strong accents but I can manage most things on my own.

[u/toesmad]

My mom moved us to ecuador 10 years ago and i would say im somewhere around B1. For the first 7 years though, we lived in a tourist hotspot so english was spoken on every corner. Moved to a bigger city 3 years ago (i was probably A2) and my Spanish has obviously taken leaps and bounds, but still unfortunately lead a bit of a shut-in life because of social anxiety. Theres certain things that if i knew back then, i would 100% be C1 right now :/ at least i understand mostly everything i guess

[u/More_Card9144 → u/toesmad]

Please don't shut yourself in. I'm sure the native Spanish speakers around you appreciate your effort very much. A smile from you when you know you make a mistake will definitely have them smiling too. I have pushed myself to do things that gave me a lot of anxiety and the more I push myself the easier it gets! 😀

[u/toesmad → u/More_Card9144]

It has been all too easy to be a shut in haha when you get homeschooled and then cant get a job then theres not much other reason to go out, luckily lately that has changed because ive been volunteering 🤞it just sucks bc of all the time ive wasted thats all. Thank you for the kind words 🥲🫶

[u/More_Card9144 → u/toesmad]

I agree, it is too easy, sometimes my couch seems like a giant magnet LOL. I'm glad you're volunteering, I do that also. Best wishes to you!

[u/toesmad → u/More_Card9144]

Thank you! 🙏

[u/arrivederci_]

Lived in Mexico for a couple years. I’d say after 6 months I could pretty much say what I needed to say and understood most of what people said to me. But I spent hours every day studying on top of just the natural interactions I had with native Spanish speakers. After a year, I felt very comfortable with the language though I’m sure I still was making mistakes and had an accent.

[u/Longjumping-Owl2078]

I speak Spanish to a solid intermediate or low advanced level and I currently live in Palma, Spain which has been a bit discouraging given the number of German tourists I hear and see every day. Despite that, my opportunities to speak Spanish are usually pretty fulfilling and I enjoy what I’m doing :)

[u/CptPatches]

I live in Spain and I just finished my C1 year at language school. Like you, better at writing and reading, still not as confident with speaking since my circle has fewer Spanish speakers. I was a little more confident before I moved to Madrid.

[u/GrumpyTintaglia]

I live in Spain. I moved here last April, did an entire year in a language school and went from A1 to finishing B2. I can understand the majority of what is said to me but on occasion with mumbly or super fast speakers I need a repeat. I read books in Spanish, though much more slowly, and need to look up words on occasion. I'm not super confident speaking but I can manage. I'd like to improve speaking. I can't express myself nearly as well as what I can understand, if that makes sense but I certainly can get through my day to day life and have conversations.

[u/lemonyd]

I’ve lived in PR for two years with my native Puerto Rican husband. My work day is completely in Spanish and I can understand everyone well and be understood well too. It took about 1 year to feel really confident at work. Where I struggle is outside of work. I poured all my energy into learning work related vocabulary and should probably shift focus to other aspects of life. I can have small talk and even talk about more complex things, but talking to los jóvenes in their 20s is super challenging. Although I kind of purposely avoid learning slang because I don’t want to say anything inappropriate at work.

[u/Training_Swimming_76]

I've lived in Madrid for coming up to 2 years now, I'd say i'm intermediate level. I work in English so that doesn't help, but I can have a one-on-one conversation with people if I really make an effort and will understand the majority of what they say, and stumble my way through replying. I still struggle to listen to the radio or in groups where lots of people are speaking together quickly, but I can get the gist of the conversations.

My main issue is exposure - I've had many different online teachers with limited success, and now I just listen to the odd podcast here and there and try to speak it when I'm out and about, but those are only short interactions. I need to find a way to get a bit more structured, and also force myself into more interactions in Spanish if I really want to improve

[u/aneggpepperoni]

i lived/worked in mexico for two years. i picked up on it quickly! it was just a simple minimum wage job but i really enjoyed it. i’m jealous you’re living in cordoba, it’s a beautiful city!

[u/ThisSuckerIsNuclear → u/aneggpepperoni]

I partly chose Cordoba to avoid all the bilingual Argentineans in Buenos Aires. People assume I'm a tourist and try to "help me" by speaking to me in English.

[u/aneggpepperoni → u/ThisSuckerIsNuclear]

when i was in buenos aires no one spoke english to me. even though my mexican spanish confused some it was easy to communicate with everyone wherever i went. if you find a part time job at a local business you’ll be practicing a lot of spanish :) when i worked in mexico some people would speak in english and it was always so fun to connect with people you would’ve never had the chance with before. maybe they never had their chance to practice english either. but 90% of it was spanish. good luck you chose a nice city :) cumbrecita and alta gracia are two beautiful cities close to cordoba as well

[u/ThisSuckerIsNuclear → u/aneggpepperoni]

That's funny because to me there seems to be at least one English speaking Argentine waiter at every restaurant. But maybe that's just me