Beginner to Bilingual: The Fast Track to Spanish Fluency (Part 1) ♫ 20

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to effortlessly speak multiple foreign languages while others struggle to learn just one? Why do some people seem to get fluent in 90 days while others find it difficult to stay focused and quit before they make any real progress? And how is it that some people can understand spoken Spanish and speak naturally, but others struggle to put together a sentence and get lost because native speakers talk too fast? Hola, my name is Tamar Marie and I'm a certified neuro language coach and the founder of Spanish con salsa. Welcome to my brand new workshop"Beginner to Bilingual: The Fast Track to Spanish Fluency". This is the first in a series of three short lessons where I'll be showing you how to get from someone who's just curious about or starting to learn Spanish to becoming a confident Spanish speaker. And this first video, you're going to discover the key to consistently improving your Spanish proficiency. This was going to immediately help you get laser focus on your next steps. Now once you get this down, you will start to see a clear path to fluency. So if you've been trying to learn Spanish for a while but you still aren't making consistent progress, or if you're a beginner, that's not exactly sure where to start. Stick with me because you're going to find out why aspiring bilinguals like you can get fluent in Spanish and why it's critical that you start with a winning strategy from the beginning. Now, the goal of this workshop is simple to help you easily figure out your next steps towards Spanish fluency. Plus, I'm going to show you how to identify your driving motivation so you will stay focused on your goals. The more you can focus and get clear on your next steps, the greater opportunity you'll have to enjoy the benefits of being bilingual. Now before we dig in, I've got to warn you about something and this is critically important. And not paying attention to this will virtually guarantee that you will stay stuck and not move forward. With so many resources and opinions about learning Spanish, you may wonder, why isn't everyone bilingual or even multilingual? You may even think that there's a special language learning gene that others were born with, but you somehow lack. The truth is, and no one is talented at language learning from birth. But, there are specific patterns of behavior and strategies that successful language learners have that make it look like they have some special skill or superpower. The good news is anyone can learn these strategies and apply them consistently to get the same results. I'm sure you'll agree. Trying to become fluent in Spanish isn't always as simple as people sometimes make it seem: It comes with its challenges.

You've probably tried other ways to learn Spanish before; you've downloaded that popular app of that green owl and when numerous virtual trophies but still couldn't manage to start a conversation in Spanish. You've googled how to learn Spanish and got lost in a sea of conflicting and confusing information. You may have started and stopped and started and stopped again because you got bored, distracted or life just happened. In this first lesson, I'm going to share the shortcuts of fluency that I've developed after years of trial and error. This will help you get out of overwhelm and stagnation and get you making progress with your Spanish right away. Maybe you're just starting to learn Spanish or maybe you've been learning for a while, but you just can't seem to understand the fast pace of spoken Spanish and still struggle with conjugating verbs in your head. Either way, what I'm about to share will help you find out exactly what you need to focus on to get fluent in Spanish. I started Spanish con salsa because I saw so many people who wanted to speak Spanish fluently, but they were getting completely sidetracked. For example, I saw people struggling to understand complex grammar rules before they could even have a basic conversation in Spanish. Then I had coaching clients who could read and write Spanish pretty well, but with still get completely lost when talking to a native Spanish speaker. There are many more examples like this, but I knew that people need a clarity because in full transparency, that was my story too. Long before I received my language coaching certification, I was struggling to learn Spanish just like you. I grew up in the US only speaking English, and I taught myself Spanish as an adult. I remember going to Panama armed with my high school Spanish and the embarrassment I felt when I couldn't even understand the basic questions at customs and immigration. So I came back home, determined to speak Spanish fluently. At the time I was pursuing my master's degree and working a full time job, so I was really strapped for time, but I downloaded every app I could find. I went to the library and got every Spanish textbook and it got lost in numerous online forums looking for answers to the crazy questions that will pop up in my head as I struggled to understand Spanish grammar. I was confused and demotivated and, quite frankly, not very consistent. But then I started taking dance classes and I became obsessed with salsa music. I realized that I love the rhythm, but I didn't know what the music was really about. I was driven to understand the meaning of the songs and connect with Spanish speakers. So I use the music as my motivation and my learning material. The first time I was mistaken for a native Spanish speaker, I knew I was onto something. I also connected with the community of other language learners and invested in coaching to help me stay accountable to meet my goals. Eventually I started to share my process for learning Spanish with music, with other learners, and that's how Spanish Con Salsa was born. Once I got past the frustration and boredom of trying to learn Spanish and traditional ways and doing it all on my own, I really started to see massive growth. At this point, I've traveled throughout Latin America, from Costa Rica to Columbia to Cuba, and I've been able to connect with people along the way because I can speak the language and went from being confused and embarrassed when traveling to Panama to being able to secure a visa at the consul in Argentina after taking an unexpected detour during my last trip to South America, but that's a story for another time.

Now, everything I'm about to share with you is the exact plan I followed to get comfortable with speaking Spanish with native Spanish speakers. More importantly, this means that I'm able to connect with the music I love and with the people in my own community and have made friends all over the world. And that's what I want for you. I know you wouldn't be watching this if you didn't have a real desire to speak Spanish fluently. That's why I want to make things easy for you. So let's get started with the first step.

The single most important step in mastering a new language is identifying what I call"your driving motivation". Now, this isn't just your reasons for wanting to learn Spanish. This is a deep desire that derives you to really want to speak Spanish fluently. Sometimes we set goals because we think they sound good or that's what we're supposed to be doing, or maybe we want to impress somebody by reaching that goal, but unfortunately, too often, this is not enough to help us reach the completion of our goals.

This is because the reason that we're doing something is not sufficient enough to keep us going for the long haul. Let's say for example, someone who wants to quit smoking. Let's call him Joe. Now. Joe wants to quit smoking because, well, it's new year's. He figured he pick a new year's resolution that will give him the opportunity to better himself. So, when asked by one of his friends while he finally decided to quit smoking this year, his response is, I want to stop smoking cigarettes because I want to be healthy. What do you think Joe's chances are of actually quitting smoking? I'd say slim to none. I mean, there's plenty of other healthy activities. Exercising, eating vegetables, drinking water, and Joe has not identified a real reason that he wants to discontinue smoking. Now, let's say this was Joe's response. Instead, I want to stop smoking because my father died at age 53 from lung cancer and I want to see my daughter graduate from high school. Would you be more likely to believe he's going to quit smoking with this response versus the prior"I just want to be healthy" reason? The second reason is much more compelling, much more clear. It invokes emotion. You can picture Joe mourning the loss of his father, a negative emotion, and then him being present, clapping and whistling loudly at his daughter's graduation, which is a positive emotion. These types of emotions and visualizations are powerful messages that help your brain guide you to achieving your goals. No matter who you are. Learning the language requires a fair amount of effort. This is why if you're going to reach your goal of becoming fluent in Spanish, you need to identify a compelling reason that you went to learn Spanish. You need something that will excite you so much so that you can't even sleep at night or you can't imagine not doing it. The reason that lights you up from the inside and motivates you to make progress even when you face setbacks. Now, I know that might sound a little over the top, but I guarantee you there will be days when you do not feel like learning. And on those days if you don't have a driving motivation to learn Spanish that'll keep you going, you will almost certainly fail. At minimum, it'll take you twice as long to learn Spanish than someone with a clear, compelling reason to learn: A driving motivation.

Remember, your driving motivation must invoke emotion. It must be visual and it must get you energized and also has to be true to you. Remember, this is your reason for learning Spanish, not anyone else's. Do you want to volunteer in Central America and build houses for charity? That's great. Are you thinking about retiring and Latin America to save some money? Fabulous. Or maybe want to date someone from another country. That's okay too. Your reasons does not have to be noble. It just has to be important and motivating to you. It has to be something that propels you forward on days when you don't feel like learning any more Spanish. So I want you to take a moment and think about what your compelling reason is. What is your driving motivation for learning Spanish? Visualize it. See yourself chatting with someone over coffee or laying in the beach, ordering drinks with your new spouse, or teaching English to a group of students in Costa Rica. Whatever it is, if it brings a smile to your face, then you have found your driving motivation. If you're a little stuck, one way to get started is to think about what you would do if someone could download a computer program directly into your brain and you were automagically fluent in Spanish: What would you do? Where would you go? Who would you talk to first, how would your life be different? Close Your eyes and create an image of yourself in your life as a fluent Spanish speaker. Then write down your driving motivation to reach Spanish fluency. Make sure it's something that energizes you and would get you out of the bed to start speaking Spanish on a day when you don't feel like saying one more word. Now, don't just keep it in your head: Write it down. When you write it down, it becomes just a little more real for you. And a bonus tip, find a picture or an image that reminds you of your driving motivation. This should be something that when you see it, it inspires you and reminds you of why you want to be fluent. Trust me, this will definitely help you get motivated and get clear on exactly what your future as a fluent Spanish speaker looks like.

Once you're clear about your driving motivation to become fluent in Spanish, the big question is how do you actually move from motivated to fluent? Once you're clear on your motivation, you can get pulled in so many different directions and you can still find yourself bored or frustrated with your progress. You may find yourself in a class or taking a course that's not very inspiring. So how do you find the right strategy for you? I'll talk more about that in part two of this workshop. In the next lesson, I'm going to explain why you're a Spanish level really doesn't matter, and I'll show you how to determine your true fluency score. If you're a beginner, this will help you figure out what to do first and what not to waste your time on. And if you're already familiar with Spanish, this will give you a clear picture of your ability to use Spanish in real life regardless of what a test might tell you. It's a simple shift in the way you think about fluency and I'll share it with you in part two.

Now, before we go today, a way to leave a comment right below this video and tell me what's your driving motivation for becoming fluent in Spanish. And also like to know a little more about you, tell me where you're from and what it would mean to you to be fluent in Spanish. Leave a comment below: I will read every single comment and respond to as many as I can. And if you found this video useful, please share it on Facebook, Twitter or just send a link to this page to a friend. I hope you found this first lesson of Beginner to Bilingual insightful. I hope that you've actually taken a time to connect with what your driving motivation is for becoming a fluent Spanish speaker. Next up, we'll talk about finding the right strategy for you, but following a simple process for identifying your true Spanish level so you can focus on only the activities that will help you get from beginner to bilingual. I can't wait to see you in the next lesson. Nos vemos en la próxima lección¡¡Adiós!!