Just a thought (on learning Spanish)

Question

I had a friend that was in the navy, training to be a radio operator and he just wasn't having any success at learning Morse code. He was really struggling with it. He got up one day and suddenly everything just started to click and from that day on he had no trouble learning Morse code. I was just wondering if anyone has had a similiar experience learning Spanish?

We say, 'learning Morse code' - pesta, Oct 11, 2010

thanks, that sounds better, I'll do some editing - swampy, Oct 11, 2010

Answer 1

I think that many of us share this experience from time to time. I have noticed something similar when learning a variety of subjects.

However, in my experience, I seem to struggle for a period of time which can last for weeks or sometimes months. Then seemingly overnight, something sinks in and the struggles disappear. I can then go for a while longer at this new level and as I begin to learn more on a subject, the frustration is there again, followed after a period of time by a new level of understanding and comprehension.

In my experience, this cycle or pattern continues at each new level of my understanding in any subject or topic. In your friend's situation, their understanding seemed to occur all at once, which is amazing.

I don't know the science behind all of this, but it is as if after a period of study and struggle, new pathways are formed in our brains. The topic does interest me. The one area besides Spanish where I have truly experienced this is with music. I can study and practice something for weeks. I then take a short break of a day or two. When I return to the piece I have been practicing, it is as if everything falls magically into place. The other thing I have found fascinating is that when I seem the most frustrated, that is when I am about to experience a break through.

Thanks for sharing this.

Thank you for your response, very interesting! - swampy, Oct 11, 2010

Doesn´t work for me with music. I use to learn a piece and then a week later had to "learn" it again. - ian-hill, Oct 11, 2010

Answer 2

I agree with Nicole's description. I also play the piano (almost made a career of it ). I frequently find that I can learn or practice for several hours at full concentration, and see very little progress. But the next day, the benefits are quite apparent. With musical practice, and with language, I find that doing the most concentrated work fairly near bed-time actually helps. There is something about how I fall asleep, quietly undistracted by anything beyond my day's last studies, which helps to internalize the knowledge and skill. Now, when I'm working hard and see no progress, I am motivated by the knowledge that I can patiently await the benefits even if I don't feel immediate results!

Answer 3

When I lived in Denmark I had an experience like that.

I had been there about a year struggling to understand spoken Danish - it sounds so "garbled" but one day I was watching a TV program where a speech therapist was talking about problems that some kids have understanding spoken language.

I understood every word - her voice and way of speaking was so easy to understand.

From that moment I "knew" I could understand Danish and that helped a lot.

My grandparents were Swedish, and that always sounded garbled to me. - swampy, Oct 11, 2010

Danish and Swedish are similar but sound different - I can understand that and Norwegian now. - ian-hill, Oct 11, 2010

Answer 4

I can't say it happened overnight, but for me I just realized one day I was no longer thinking first in english and then translating to spanish.

I think it will be awhile before I get to that point. Thanks! - swampy, Oct 11, 2010