The speaker is sharing a detailed account of their journey in learning Spanish, starting from when they were a child. They grew up in a bilingual family, with their parents speaking Spanish, but English was the primary language they used at home. They moved to Mexico when they were six years old and attended an English-speaking school.
The speaker found it challenging to understand Spanish at first, but they gradually picked it up through immersion and practice. They recall using phrases like "I hardly speak Spanish" to communicate their limited knowledge of the language. They also mention a game they played with classmates where they had to say "what" for each vowel, which helped them learn and remember the vowels in Spanish.
The speaker found that the spelling rules in Spanish were more straightforward compared to English, which made learning to write in Spanish easier for them. They also found that the rules in Spanish were more consistently followed, unlike English where there were many exceptions.
The speaker attributes their successful language learning to being completely surrounded by native Spanish speakers
1. The speaker is sharing their experience of learning Spanish as a child.
2. The speaker's parents spoke Spanish to them, but they grew up primarily speaking English.
3. The speaker's family moved from Arizona to Mexico when the speaker was six years old.
4. The speaker attended a school where English was taught.
5. The speaker started learning Spanish by saying phrases like "almost no I speak Spanish I hardly speak Spanish" in front of a mirror.
6. The speaker used games and rhythms to help learn Spanish, including a game where they had to say "what" for each vowel.
7. The speaker learned that in English classes, they were taught with a strong Spanish accent.
8. The speaker realized they had to adapt their English to an English that was understood by their classmates.
9. The speaker found that Spanish spelling rules were simpler and more predictable than English.
10. The speaker's parents did not encourage them to talk about their language learning until about six or seven months after arriving in Mexico due to their young age.
11. The speaker believes that children are not afraid of looking stupid or being corrected, which helps them learn new languages.
12. The speaker was completely surrounded and immersed in native speakers who were conversing in all kinds of contexts.