Spanish for the wrong reason?
I live in an area populated with a lot of Spanish speaking people.Very good for me ,I get to practice what I learn.This is my main motivation,however,I met a Spanish ladiy and it has encouraged me to try even harder.Many people tell me it's the only reason I'm trying to learn.Your thoughts please.It is a real pleasure to get to know more about someone you normally might not talk to.Anyone with a similiar situation or previous experience? I'd like to hear it. Thanks.
6 Answers
First of all, learning a new language is always good no matter what. It opens so many doors and opportunities for you like you would not believe. Especially if you are living in a heavy Spanish speaking area.
Second, there is absolutely nothing wrong with learning a new language for the purpose of getting to know someone better. My girlfriend speaks Spanish and when we started dating I didn't know a whole lot of Spanish but I put a lot of effort into learning and now I can speak with her in Spanish which I think has helped a lot.
So go right ahead and keep on learning as best you can and everyday practice with a native speaker is the best practice you can get.
Good luck!
I can relate very well. I moved to a Spanish speaking country and at first I battled with the language. It was a blind spot of mine. But I really liked the people and I was determined to make it work. I then met this amazing girl. My whole world and perception changed. The learning of the language, once a chore, is now an absolute pleasure! I love it! I strive to improve and dream of perfecting it.
Embracing a foreign culture, language and way of life has been the most liberating experience of my life.
I think it's a healthy motivation to quicken your pace of learning-- and there's no better way to learn than through conversation with a native speaker. I started learning Spanish because I work at a diner and wanted to be able to communicate with the bus boy and the cooks. The bus boy speaks only Spanish, and when I started, I barely spoke any Spanish at all. Now, with all the practice I'm getting at the diner, along with studying on my own, I'm learning much faster than I ever could have just through studying or taking classes.
I also want to note that, if you are learning by speaking to someone you form any kind of relationship with--whether friendship or something more--it helps you learn how to express many different things you would normally not learn. It also helps you to pick up on speech patterns, pronunciations, and colloquialisms. Go for it! 
Some evolutionary scientists think that everything men do is ultimately for one horizontal aim only, whether they know it or not.
Nuboso, your friends, sorry to say, don't know what they are talking about. Each one of us here has our reasons for learning Spanish, and what better reason than love? Even in the worst case scenario, if your romance does not endure, you have, by learning a new language, expanded your world to include another couple hundred million people. Certainly expands the dating pool, don't you think? And along the way you will be exercising your mind as well as giving yourself the opportunity to make lifelong friends from a culture not native to your own. Any way you slice it, it's a win-win situation. Keep up the good work, good luck with your girlfriend, and keep in touch with us if and when you have any questions about the Spanish language.
Why does one learn a new language? To be able to communicate with more people. To me it does not matter whether you want to be able to communicate with Spanish speakers in general or with one in particular. You're doing a good job even trying to learn a new language. So many don't even attempt it.
Keep up the good work!
P.S. I love your avatar! 
