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Here is a list of fifty statements made by Conversa students about their Spanish. Some refer to grammar. Others refer to comprehension or vocabulary or pronunciation. Some are about language situations. Some reflect a sense of frustration and some belie a sense of triumph…but they are all part of the language learning process. Check them out. See which ones might apply to you. Mainly, we want you to see that there is a process at work, that this process is somewhat similar for most learners, and that with a little time and effort, you too can move ahead with your Spanish. Buena suerte!

1. I can say "Buenos días" and "Hasta luego" and that's it.
2. I don't worry about verbs. Half the time, I don't even use them.
3. My Spanish is very basic, so I have to use my hands a lot to get my idea across.
4. What little Spanish I speak I learned from the Western movies.
5. I'll never learn this language…"sopa" isn't soap and "ropa" isn't rope and the butter is meant to killya'.
6. If I don't know a word, I just make one up.
7. I can order a meal in a restaurant, get a room in a hotel, maybe give directions on how to get somewhere, stuff like that.
8. "Ser" and "Estar" really give me problems.
9. I usually stick to the present tense.
10. I use anglicisms a lot…like "nada mucho" for "nothing much". Then I found out it means "he swims a lot".
11. I usually rehearse in my mind what I want to say before I say it, to make sure I have the right words and the right grammar.
12. If I don't know a word or an expression in Spanish, I just toss it out in English and keep going.
13. Sometimes someone can throw an entire paragraph at me, and I won't understand a single word.
14. My grammar is pretty good. My problem is getting it out of my mouth, you know what I mean?
15. I can more or less move in and out of past, present and future, but that's about it.
16. I stick to the "Usted" form. I totally avoid the "Tú" or the "Vos" or whatever.
17. I could interview someone for a job, if I had to. I could help someone rent a house or an apartment if he needed an interpreter.
18. I can talk to a cab driver on the way from the airport to downtown and make small talk about the weather, the economic situation of the country, the results of the latest sports events.
19. I know the difference between the Preterite and the Imperfect, but I have trouble using them, especially in the same sentence.
20. I understand a lot more than what I can say.
21. My listening comprehension is not nearly as good as my speaking ability.
22. Sometimes, I think I can speak Spanish really well. Other times, I think, "No way!"
23. I have a strong gringo accent.
24. Sometimes, I can talk up a storm. Other times, I can't even put two words together in the stupid language.
25. I can speak pretty well, actually. My problem is that I don't know why I say what I say. I need more grammar.
26. I love the way Spanish changes "I forgot it" to "It forgot itself on me" or how "I left it home" becomes "It stayed home on me". Who invented this language?
27. What the heck is the Subjunctive?
28. I can understand people when they speak clearly and enunciate. But it seems that a lot of the time, they speak very sloppily.
29. Prepositions give me a lot of trouble, especially "Por" and "Para".
30. I can describe the structure of the government of my country or explain the structure of public education in my country.
31. I can pretty much say anything I want to say as far as grammar is concerned. Vocabulary might be another matter though.
32. I know about Reflexive Pronouns and Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns. But that doesn't mean that I use them correctly when I speak.
33. I know my verbs, regular and irregular, in all the tenses.
34. I can usually follow a joke right up to the punch line…then, I lose it completely!
35. Sometimes, I use false cognates incorrectly…like "Ultimamente", "Actualmente", "Excitado", "Embarazado".
36. Sometimes, I'm able to use a word or an expression that is quite native-like. It feels really good.
37. I often use adages and sayings to spice up my Spanish.
38. My pronunciation is quite good, so I'm sometimes taken for a native speaker…but nothing could be farther from the truth.
39. I can usually change a verb to an adjective or to an adverb or to a noun, as needed.
40. I can take my broken watch to be repaired, or take my car to the shop and explain to the mechanic what's wrong with the brakes, the steering, etc.
41. I can explain to someone how to bake a loaf of bread or how to make pancakes.
42. I can describe in detail a movie that I saw last night. I can tell a joke, and maybe even get a laugh.
43. I can follow a news program on TV without any problem.
44. I know lots of slang expressions and can usually use them in appropriate contexts.
45. I try to figure out how a native speaker of Spanish would say something before I say it.
46. I feel sometimes like I take on a different personality when I speak Spanish, like I become another person, more outgoing, more spontaneous than I am in English.
47. I love to use the Subjunctive correctly, especially to say stuff like "If I would have known, I would have done it."
48. People frequently compliment me on my Spanish.
49. My Spanish is almost as good as my English.
50. People often mistake me for a native speaker. It's quite flattering.