Do you feel down? Not learning enough? Come to Encouragement Island/Isla de Apoyo!
I would like to introduce a new (continuing) thread. 
We have a beautiful International Cafe in the forum. We also have our famous "Dunce Corner". 
I would now like to welcome you to Encouragement Island or as the locals call it Isla de Apoya.
Do you feel down? Not learning enough? Come to Encouragment Island!
You are safe here. Are you ready to throw your grammar books in the trash? Are you doing cartwheels because you just spoke to a taxi driver in Spanish? Or, are you somewhere in between?
Well this is a relaxing tropical paradise where you can get away from it all. Unload your burdens and we will be here to encourage you. This also transforms into a party island where everyone is encouraged to join in the fun when you have a reason to celebrate learning a new language!
So, come to our little island getaway whenever you are in need of a hug to keep you going or if you are ready to dance until sunrise! There will always be someone here to greet you!
This is not a thread for grammar or vocabulary help, but rather a place for all of us to share in the trials and tribulations of language learning. Spanish and English natives welcome!
635 Answers
Hi, Nicole! What a real-nice-thread from a real-nice-lady to see at the top of the list when I logged in. First thing that came to mind is that this is going to be SD's "Wailing Wall". 
About 2 month ago I re-enrolled in the Spanish classes and had no choice, but to take the intensive 4-day/12-hour a week classes because that's the only one available for my level. In about 5 weeks we had to learn the preterito indefinido, the preterito imperfecto, the futuro, the conditional, and the imperativo again as in introduction to the subjuntivo.
With all the different conjugations and the peculiarities of the irregular verbs, I am still trying to figure out if I actually learned from or just got more confused by the experience.
Couldn't find the wall nor a couch, so, here I am, wailing in the sand. Wait, is that my tears or is it high tide? 
I am so proud of myself! When I was at work on Friday (I work as a nurse at a hospital), we had a Spanish patient. He wasn't "my" patient, but when someone heard that I knew some Spanish, I was begged to tell him that he had crystal sickness, that it isn't dangerous and that he was being released from the hospital today. "I don't know that much Spanish", I tried, but they wouldn't listen, they still begged me. I had to use the google translate first in order to find out what for instanse crystal sickness was called in Spanish. I later walked in to his room, and said "Hola. Soy enfermera Ingrid. Tienes cristal enfermo. No es peligroso." He replied quickly to me. I wasn't prepared that he was going to respond, I had only rehearsed on the information I had given him. I had to ask him say it once more. and after a few attempts I could hear that he was saying that he felt nausea and couldn't eat. I asked him whether he wanted some antiemetic, but he didn't. I told him that we had allready spoken with someone who was going to pick him up at the hospital and get him home. He asked about the new medicine he had started on. I showed him the prescription the doctor had given him, and said "Está una farmacía aqui en el hospital. ¿Tienes dinero?" "Un poco" he told me. I said "Vamos a ...ehm... ayudar.", knowing that it didn't sound correct. I meant to say that we could help him to buy the medicine if he wanted. "¿Ayudarme?" he asked. "Sí!" I finished the conversation there, he said "Gracias", and I couldn't remember how to respond to that. He noticed that, so he helped me and said "De nada".
When I went out the door I was so proud of myself! I had truly for the first time had a conversation in Spanish where both I could understand him, and he could understand me, even though I probably had tons of grammatically mistakes. Until now I have more or less only read and written Spanish and heard on the Spanish lessons to Paralee, but have spoke little myself, and haven't heard much else. When I write Spanish, I have the opportunity to take time and think through how to form a sentence, but that's not the case when I talk. I did stumble a lot through that conversation, but at least I got a good exercise, and a good indication that I actually can converse in Spanish. That's good news to me, especially because it is less than two weeks till I arrive in Mexico for a three months travel! =)
I am always saying, it is good to have friends, virtual or in real life...it does not matter much at times.
Thanks for the lovely thread you opened for me Mimi, and thanks to all of you who sent me PMs and support and nice wishes on the thread.
I talked to Ray and Gary , they not only sent me their best wishes but also taught me some new English ....who of you knows what this means: He might be Adrians! 
Both Gary and I went--huh? 
jejejeje
I also talked to Chris and lovely last night, and poor lovely said to Chris , hey, can you please speak ENGLISH!!! jeeeeeeeez, that really made me laugh again, those of you who have not heard him, pufffff, his English is really something else lol.
Anyway, thanks to all of you and just letting you know that I can see fine too again
The new staff member Stuart also sent me his best wishes, thanks a lot Stuart
To everybody:
Wow, I am certainly excited...thankful!!! My husband just informed me that he is planning on visiting the Dominican Republic again this summer for a few weeks to visit our daughter!!
I don't know about the rest of you, but knowing there is an upcoming trip to a Spanish speaking country really helps me to kick things into high gear!!
I am also very excited about being able to visit all of our friends down their and hopefully help some along the way.
Does anyone else have any future goals this year that make studying Spanish that much more exciting?
I had a great opportunity to practice Spanish this weekend. I volunteered to work as a server at a wedding banquet for a Hispanic couple that was married Saturday afternoon.
The organizers did not have enough waiters, so I decided to give it a try. I helped in the kitchen and then served three large tables with a total of about 40 people. Some knew English, but most had very limited English speaking skills. Though the activity made use of a different vocabulary "set" that I know, I managed to communicate fairly well with everyone. I believe everyone was fed well and enjoyed the banquet.
Toward the end of the banquet, one of the guests asked me (I was bringing more tortillas around) if I was hungry. I figured the banquet was about over, so I went back to the kitchen, picked up a plate for myself, and went back to the table to enjoy the rest of the evening. I enjoyed some good discussions in both languages with the guests.
I was exhausted when the event was over, but I plan to take every available opportunity to speak the language with native speakers. They don't realize the battle I fight with each sentence, but they seem to engage me in conversation anyway.
My highlight was on our recent trip to Cuba. The main problem for me was the accent and that the majority of cubans not only "eat letters" but at times practically the whole word. However, in Havana, I found the accent a lot easier to follow.
I was chatting to a waitress, who was from Cuba by the way, when she said, and I couldn't believe this, "what part of Spain are you from". Surprised or what. I hesitated and replied "I'm from England". She then added "then when did you emigrate to England". Obviously this Cuban didn't have a good ear for Castillian Spanish.
I would like to add that Spanishdict had a lot to do with this compliment which made my holiday.
Today I was the grateful recipient of an "excelente" from our esteemed friend and moderator extraordinaire, drvicente, on "La Palabra del Día"!
Please indulge me as I do a little dance in celebration of this minor (but happy!) achievement.
At the request of a very special person ( to me) I am posting this bit of foolishness here.
" Stupidities in Spanish" OR " just when you thought you knew" So here we are In San Christobal de las Casas, having our breakfast as a group , five native speakers and yours truly. Just so happens it is my turn to pay the check. The morning chat is getting a bit much so " nos Vamos" and all agree, and then is when I put my foot in my mouth'''' " joven! está el tiempo por la cuenta" which translates to " Waiter it is the weather for the check" The Table abslolutely cracked up laughing at MY expense ! Ufff!
But after I said it I had realized my error and hung my head in shame!!
Thank goodness I was with friends! another one of "Pacos misadventures in Spanish!"
Here you have it island dwellers, our first mini Island Tribunal. 
Feliz brought up this matter for discussion:
There is hope for you all to improve but I am not sure about me (Perhaps only many natives speakers here could persuade me if they responded positively? But that may be too much to hope for!).
Our reigning island chiefs have announced their verdicts:
Chief Heidi:
The forum would not be the same without the help we get from so many members answering questions. We have very few native speakers and if the members had to wait or expect only answers by native speakers, this forum could not exist.
I can see both of you often make corrections or adding answers on the forum, on threads. that is the best help we can get.
Chief Gary:
Just lighten up a bit, chill out on the island and things will be back to normal in no time.
These two not only reign as island chiefs, they also patrol the waters surrounding the island in full scuba gear throughout the day and night.
So the results are in and after this tribunal of Isla de Apoyo......
Neither Feliz nor any other island dweller shall be cast from the island!!!!
I have been busy this week entertaining friends from the Dominican Republic. It has been so much fun to hear Spanish throughout my house all week...and not just because I have Telemundo on.
We have had so many discussions about learning languages. I will have to share more in the coming days after they return to the D.R.. But I have been learning some interesting things, especially about the learning process.
They have also made me homesick for my other island (besides this island )
I came across this article listing 10 reasons to study a foreign language. Some of the reasons are well known. However, it does delve a bit deeper into this topic and also brings up some very interesting reasons for learning that I never thought of.
I saw these two quotes in the article and really liked them:
"A different language is a different vision of life." - Federico Fellini, Italian film director
and
"No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive." - Mohandas K. Gandhi, Indian nationalist and spiritual leader
Both of these points are so true. It is interesting that there have been several people in my life who sort of look down on the fact that I am learning Spanish. I have no idea why. But the reality is, I now do see life so much differently. I also think differently. I have also observed on my five most recent trips to Spanish speaking countries, that I had an entirely different and more fulfilling experience than my traveling companions who spoke little to no Spanish.
There's no turning back for me!
Rikko said:
First thing that came to mind is that this is going to be SD's "Wailing Wall".
Well I haven't come across any walls on the island, but there is a tropical swimming pool you can cry into! 
of course, good catch, dean, apoyO - Heidita 2 hrs ago flag
Well this is my first entry and do I feel like a dummy! 
Don't ask why I put an "a" on the end of "apoyo".
Thanks Dean and Heidi for catching that mistake. I really needed the "support" in spelling "apoyo". (Pun intended
There are always drawbacks in life and especially in this virtual part of our lives. We often think we have a friend and they turn out to be real ...don't get me started
But then, one has so many good moments, I think it is worth it
Swampy always the gentleman has just reached 10k, he was on my chats only three times, always a pleasure to have him there.
The new Palabra del Día has been a huge success, thanks to all the work IndianaChris puts into it and the present corrector drvicente
Jenny goes shopping every other day, omg, SHOPPING, jeeeeeez, she could not lift her head a year ago!!!
Another friend is thinking I am a filthy liar, kidding, jeje, because she thinks I simply MUST get paid to spend so much time on the site...well, I do NOT get paid
My pay are the friends I have met on this site. There are many and some I completely trust, like you for example, Nicole
I might even go diving with my mate Gary...I am seriously thinking about it
My pay are the many threads which so many people follow and have a refuge in, like this very thread or my Café...
My pay are all the good moments I spend on the site...and the bad moments, well, like in real life, you don't get paid for everything you do, you simply have to make the best of what good people give you and try not to pay attention to the bad things.
What can I say...I love this forum
Tengo que leer en mi iglesia el próximo domingo. Estoy muy nervioso. Son las dos de la mañana aquí y no puedo dormir. En mi iglesia, nosotros leemos, cantamos, oramos y predicamos en inglés y español.
I lead a lot of the service, particularly the singing.
I'm writing this because I just realized my whole problem of being nervous is caused by pride. I'm just afraid of making mistakes and appearing foolish. As you can see, my Spanish is pretty bad, but the church insists on having both segments of the congregation represented in leading the service and, well, I appear to be the gringo with the best Spanish skills. I know, we're in trouble.
So what's the remedy? I need swallow my pride and realize I will make mistakes, as the Hispanic people do when they speak English. Other gringos notably make sport of my attempts, but I must be adequate or they wouldn't ask me to help in the service.
Pride. It prevents us from doing many things from reconciling relationships to attempting a new language. I know people who study Spanish for years, using tutors, classes, and every other asset available except native practice. Pride.
I've got to get over this somehow. Maybe it will get better someday.
