Meet Anna, our lovely receptionist in our Melbourne CBD centre. Her interest in the Spanish language was sparked by her love of salsa dancing and both passions have taken her around the world! Read on to hear about Anna's travels and her tips for your Spanish practice!

What was your motivation to start learning Spanish?

My obsession with the Spanish language and everything to do with Spanish-speaking countries actually has an exact starting point. I can still remember the day and time. I went along to a beginners’ salsa dancing class without any knowledge of what it was. From that moment I became totally obsessed with salsa. This naturally lead to an interest in the Spanish language and Latin American culture. That interest included learning Spanish. So I started classes and haven’t looked back since! Not only is Spanish such a beautiful language, it is also useful. It opens up a whole part of the world, with so many amazing cultures that we might otherwise not understand or know anything about. I can definitely say my life is so much richer from learning Spanish.  I’ve made some Spanish-speaking friends too, so that’s an extra motivation. I want to be able to communicate in both English and Spanish with them.

How did you start? Group classes, online, books, podcasts, in the street...?

I started learning Spanish on the streets of Seville, Spain. In 2023, my motivation with Spanish propelled me to move to Spain for five months and work there as an au pair (three months in Seville and then two months in Barcelona). Before going, I didn’t know any Spanish. There were no Spanish classes running in my hometown, let alone an El Patio centre (very unfortunately!), so I relied on some Duolingo and YouTube videos to prepare myself. Needless to say, it was a shock to arrive in Spain! I had never before fully appreciated being able to communicate. Suddenly walking into a shop was the most terrifying part of my day. I was thrown in the deep end but it was such a great way to learn! I was living with a Spanish family who couldn’t speak fluent English so I was forced to learn for survival and as I was very motivated, I enjoyed every minute of frustration and having to bring up Google Translate. I was so lucky to have the most amazing host family during my time in Seville which made the experience so incredible. Of course when I first arrived I spoke no Spanish so there was a lot of miscommunication. But they were so patient and kind and taught me so much not only the language but also about their culture. For me, learning the culture behind the language is one of the most important parts of learning a language. 

Since being back in Australia, I have continued with Spanish classes at university, as I am completing a Diploma of Spanish as a part of my degree. There are also a lot of Spanish speakers in Melbourne. Once you start listening for it, it's everywhere, which is so exciting for us Spanish learners! You never know when you’ll have a really cool encounter with a stranger who speaks Spanish, and you can whip out your Spanish skills. So be ready! 

Of course, I would love to do classes at El Patio, but being the receptionist there makes that a little difficult! 

Do you have a current goal? What is it?

My current goal is to become fluent in Spanish. My dream is to live in South America for at least a year after I finish university, so the goal is to get there speaking confident Spanish. After that, I would love to work somewhere where I can use my Spanish. Maybe as an English teacher in a Spanish-speaking country or a Spanish teacher in Australia. Or maybe something else. 

What do you think is the most challenging thing about learning Spanish?

The things I find most challenging about Spanish currently are, correctly using the masculine and feminine, por and para, and the subjunctive. I never seem to use them correctly! The other challenging thing about Spanish is that every Spanish-speaking country speaks it so differently. But this is also something I totally love about it. Every country has different accents, slang words, unique cultures and traditions behind that. So beyond the basic Spanish language there are so many quirks unique to each country.

What's been the most rewarding part of learning Spanish so far?

The most rewarding part of learning Spanish has been the connections I have formed with people, and the experiences I have had with the cultures connected to the language. Before I began learning Spanish, I had no understanding of Hispanic culture. Now I wonder how I lived without it for so long! I have travelled because of it, lived overseas because of it, tried new foods, met lifelong friends, learnt new skills, listened to new music and grown to completely love the power of languages.

What is your advice for anybody starting out learning Spanish?

Immerse yourself as much as you can in the language but also the culture. Learn about the cultures behind the language. Listen to music, try new foods, watch movies, set a commonly-used app on your phone to Spanish (e.g. Instagram, Facebook etc), try language exchanges – everything helps!

Also don’t be afraid! Especially when it comes to speaking. Don’t hold yourself back from trying and don’t wait until you’re ‘good enough’ to try. I often catch myself not answering in class and thinking, ‘It’s ok, I’ll speak more when I’m better at Spanish’. If you think like this, you’re not alone, but it's important to catch yourself and push through it. The reality is that you have to go through that stage and practise to get better. Someone told me once that the friction you feel when you're learning something new, particularly a language, is exactly when you're learning the most. The bottom line is, don’t be scared of frustration or embarrassment. 

I like listening to podcasts such as the Easy Spanish on Spotify. They also have a lot of YouTube videos, which I highly recommend. 

My first favourite song in Spanish!

Here is one of the first songs in Spanish that I really loved. It’s a salsa song. Enjoy!