… I’ve read that many people who have woken up from comas claim they could hear and understand the things being said around them, but simply couldn’t respond vocally or physically.  This is crudely similar to my Spanish abilities after one month of immersion school at Conversa.  I comprehend much of what I hear – I just find it impossible to speak the language most of the time.

My Spanish abilities hierarchy is as follows: (1) When reading I comprehend Spanish pretty well.  (2) When listening (and if spoken slowly) I can understand it fair to good.  (3) However, forming a childlike sentence and saying it with confidence can be incredibly difficult and frustrating.  I am equally frustrated to learn just how much English grammar I have forgotten – does anyone over 40 not presently employed as an English teacher remember exactly what are indirect objects, past participles, future perfect tenses, etc.?

In short, learning a new language is very difficult.  And, I am blessed to have the means (i.e., the time off and the money to afford) for immersion school.  I have a newfound empathy for people in the US who cannot speak English and will certainly have an altered perspective the next time I hear someone utter “Speak the language (i.e., English) or leave the country.”  For most people trying to learn a second language in even the best of circumstances, it simply isn’t that easy.

So, how much of a new language can one really master in one year?  In one of my favorite books, “Outliers”, Malcolm Gladwell (http://www.gladwell.com) discusses the need to invest 10,000 hours in a trade or activity to reach expert status. I’m currently investing in six weeks of immersion school at seven hours a day for five days each week. This equates to 210 hours of Spanish or roughly 2% of the necessary time needed to reach expert status.  Barely a dent.  In the 354 days I have remaining in Costa Rica, I would need to invest:

• 27 hours per day to reach 10,000 hours (i.e., Expert) – not possible
• 14 hours per day to reach 5,000 hours (i.e., Fluent?) – not likely
• 6.5 hours per day to reach 2,500 hours (i.e., ?) – possible with real dedication

In short, truly learning a second language while living your life in your primary language seems impossible to me.  We are fortunate to be learning Spanish while living in a Spanish-speaking community and we are trying to break the pattern of speaking English while in our home, but old habits die hard.

I’m hopeful the immersion classes truly kick-start the speaking process for my whole family (by the way, I highly recommend http://www.conversa.com).  We debated spending the summer relaxing and getting settled and then trying to begin the language process – vs. spending seven+ hours a day with our brains in overdrive.  But we were reminded of something said by our friend (and pastor) Kevin Myers about training endurance vs. trial endurance – “If you don’t endure the training, you will be forced to endure the trials.”  This statement is true and applicable far beyond language training to personal finance, relationships, etc.  Regardless, we opted to endure the training to minimize the longer-term trials.

Recently, I’ve come across many Costa Ricans who have been patient and understanding as I fumbled for simple words.  I felt foolish and frustrated but their kind expressions and encouragement were a real shot in the arm.  In contrast, I’ve come across other people who were clearly frustrated by my lack of Spanish and I suspect we both left the interaction a bit worse than we entered it.

So … the next time you come across someone who is struggling with English, please be patient and be an encourager.  Remember, what they are trying to do is really hard.

How was your experience learning a second language?  Any tips?