I chose Madrid as my internship location because, since studying Spanish at college, it has been my dream to live and experience daily life in Spain. I was so excited to immerse myself in the language and the culture to work on my Spanish.
Full immersion has definitely proven to be the best way of nailing a language. My speaking skills have vastly improved over the past month, putting my years of studying to shame. So, I’m now going to share how you can do the same! This blog post offers 5 ways to immerse yourself in a language in a new city.
1. Make friends with locals
I was lucky enough to make a Spanish friend before I even got to Spain. I met her on the plane, her going home from her trip and me setting out on mine. She had been staying with a family to improve her English so we were in a similar boat! We found ourselves alternating between speaking English and Spanish, giving each other helpful corrections without judgement.
We decided to meet once a week and speak entirely in either Spanish or English so we could both improve our languages. It’s so lovely having a friend who is a native speaker – I feel really comfortable speaking Spanish with her and she has shown me around her favourite parts of Madrid. Equally, I was so happy to be able to help her with her English!
2. Listen to music, podcasts, and the news in your target language
I actually started learning Spanish by listening to the podcast ‘Coffee Break Spanish’. This is especially good if you are someone who learns best by having someone explain it to you or by hearing things out loud. If you’re unable to be immersed in your target language by going to the country, your headphones are definitely the next best thing!
This method, of course, improves your listening skills so you’re better able to understand people in the real world. For example, music will be much more realistic than textbook Spanish as it has slang and different accents. Also, instead of reading a book or speaking to someone, it means you can literally be learning and immersing yourself all the time – on your commute to work, walking around the city, getting ready in the morning…
3. Don’t be scared to practice in shops and cafes
When I first got to Madrid, I was quite nervous to speak to people in public in case they couldn’t understand my Spanish. However, I quickly gained confidence after speaking to people in shops and cafes several times. I realised that I could say more than I thought and often people were just grateful I was making an effort.
Also, if you have the attitude of ‘who cares I’ll never see them again!’ you may feel more free to go forth and speak!
4. Go to a language exchange (regularly)
I’ve only managed to make it to one language exchange, but it was a great experience that I would highly recommend. If I were to change one thing about my time here it would be to attend more and even become a regular. I think, then, you would start to see familiar faces and become more comfortable, as well as engage in more in-depth conversations and less of the same small talk.
Different language exchanges host different events and activities. My friend and fellow intern, for example, went to a karaoke night. And of course, they have different languages too. So you can try out any language you like, and not just be restricted to one.
However, and I speak from experience, be warned – sometimes you need to book (for free) in advance, or you may have to pay for entry at the door!
5. Visit us at The Language Gym
Wanna talk? The Language Gym (and I am of course completely objective and unbiased) is the place to do it. As a conversation school, we are not a traditional academy but rather a gym where, instead of training your muscles, you train your language skills. Our training methods focus on guided conversations and interactive activities, offering you the opportunity to bring joy back into learning a language.
The environment here is so friendly and it feels like a little community where everyone is improving and learning together, both during AND after training sessions; as such, it is very accessible and welcoming and I honestly wish I was a student here!
