February’s Language Learning Mission – From Foreign Language Class to Fluency

If this is your first time here: basically as my title states, I am aiming to take my high school foreign language class to fluency in my chosen language of Spanish. You can read my past language learning posts here to see how I progressed.

My goal is to be fluent in all of the UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish) by the time I graduate from college, which is why I want to be more than a high school-level Spanish speaker before I leave high school. I’d really like to be at B2 level in the next 2.5 years.

Learning a language through school is much, much harder than just being raised with another language or traveling and learning live with real people. Spanish is my third language. But, I know it’s possible, so I’m determined!

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Monthly Language Learning Post Format

My monthly language learning posts are a combination of

• Benny the Irish Polyglot of Fluent in 3 Month’s mission updates. Here’s his complete mission updates archive, but he recently posted all his and his team members’ past missions from the past 8 years here.
• Lindsay Does Languages’ Monthly #ClearTheList Link Party (February). Lindsay co-hosts this monthly linky with Kris Broholm, Angel Pretot and Shannon of Eurolinguiste and #ClearTheList (February)

The goal is to share monthly language learning goals and work towards achieving them with a community of language learning buddies. Also, one rule of the party is to visit and comment on the language learning blogs that are on the list before posting or post on the linky.

I’ve met so many inspirational multilinguists or polyglots from this Link Party, so it’s totally worth it to join in the fun!

• Brooke & Yara adaptation and school requirements for foreign languages

As a high school student, I am committed for a full academic year (2 semesters: Fall and Spring, so 10 months). Since I can’t do full language immersion to meet fluency in 3 months like Benny, I’ll use his (and all the online language learners’) principles and advice to supplement my high school curriculum.

Learning Language Progress Report – January

• Stay on target in my school curriculum: Spanish 2B ✔️✔️✔️

I’m so far ahead in my curriculum that I’m on-target for my “Wow!” goal of finishing Spanish 2B, 3A and 3B by the end of this semester. My realistic goal is to finish Spanish 2B & 3A.

• Maintain an “A” in my Spanish class – ✔️

Yes, I have a solid A–it can easily be an A+ but…all As (A-, A, A+) are created equal at my school, so putting in the extra effort for a worthless waste of time curriculum is just that: worthless!

The major advantage of finishing Spanish 2 and 3 in one year is that I can start in AP Spanish and actually choose my curriculum next year, which I’m sooo hoping to get back with Homeschool Spanish Academy. I give them such a raving review in my very first mission post here.

• Try hard to read, listen, translate any Spanish that I encounter during my day! – ✔️

Just like last month, the occurrences did not happen often enough to make much of a dent in my Spanish skills 😞 BUT, I still tried my best to use my Spanish knowledge in my normal day-to-day life.

• Try to do something in Spanish every single day and use the pretty printable that we designed! – ❌✔️

I guess this one gets a half score.

❌ = I didn’t use the printable. It’s printed out and on my wall. Just since it’s on the family’s bulletin board rather than at my desk, it’s not obviously in front of me to use.

✔️ = I worked hard to do something every single day. Listen to an audio, worked on vocabulary (outside of my class), tried to speak. I was even put on the spot to family in Sweden and the UK, but the farthest we got was

Hola! Como estas?

Bien.

That’s it…but…more in a minute.

• Find a study buddy (who’s as committed as I am!) ❌✔️

❌✔️ I’m giving this a half-mark too, because my cousin is studying Spanish too. And, we’re both taking it in school, which is as frustrating to her as it is with me. So, we said we’d try to video call each week and practice more than a single sentence each week. It’d be real cool because it’d be our own secret language that no one else knows.

• Read at least one Spanish Beginners Short Story  ✔️

Almost didn’t make this one. But, mom and I finally sat down (like a few minutes ago) to force ourselves to read together..and we re-read Chapter/Story 1.

So, see these mission posts do help me stay accountable to my goals. 🙂

• Learn the word “bike” in as many languages as possible! 🚴‍♀️ ✔️

Since I didn’t get any volunteer helpers, I decided to ask my closest friend what bike is in her 2 languages: Urdu and Hindu.

So, we’re at 14! Woohoo!

1. English – bike
2. Spanish – bicicleta
3. Arabic – diraajah دراجة
4. French – bicyclette
5. German – fahrrad
6. Slovenian – kolo
7. Chinese Mandarin – 自行車 (Zìxíngchē) (Thanks in Chinese Trisha from Language Learners Journal!)
8. Italian: bicicletta (Many thanks to Grazie Elena from Hitoritabi for 8 – 10!)
9. Swedish  – cykel
10. Japanese –  自転車 jitensha
11. Urdu –
12. Hindu –

Can you please add your language on my list?

Language Learning Goals for February

• Finish Spanish 2B curriculum and start Spanish 3A

To get to my reach goal, I literally need to complete 1 credit per week, which is typically 3-4 weeks worth of language curriculum. One semester is 5 credits for 18 weeks. So, to complete 15 credits, I can do 1 credit in the next 15 weeks. I already have 2, so I should be fine.

• End Spanish 2B with an “A” and Maintain an “A” in my Spanish 3A

Trying to be very specific with my goals, so I commit to them.

• Try hard to read, listen, translate any Spanish that I encounter during my day!

Since we’re a highly populated Latino community, Spanish is everywhere. But, when you’re doing errands to and forth to school and familiar places, one easily become complacent and blinded by what’s around us.

But, my parents keep reminding me that we’re not going to be here forever, so I better take advantage of the bilingual or even monolingual Spanish signs and flyers and try to understand as much as possible.

• Try to do something in Spanish every single day and use the pretty printable that we designed!

I need to continue to listen, read, translate in writing or speaking, study, practice, or speak aloud in Spanish every single day.

Like I said, I moved the printable to the wall right on top of my computer screen…I hope this helps me to use it. 😉

• Read at least one Beginner Spanish Short Story

A must-have must-read fun series that’s really encouraging me to learn Spanish!

• Read at least one children’s book in Spanish

I went to the library this past week and I picked up a bunch of kid’s (baby to teen) books in Spanish.

• Have one live video or phone call with my study buddy once a week.

A realistic goal is to at least add a sentence to our conversation each week. Then, figure out what are the things that we’d want to share with each other just to stay in closer touch, but to do it in Spanish…this should be really interesting. Since we know our siblings we’ll be mocking us curious of our progress.

• Learn the word “bike” in as many languages as possible! 🚴‍♀️
  

Please help by commenting below. Thanks!!

Well, that’s it for now. I can’t wait to read your progress from last month and your plans for February. Feel free to share your links so I can check out your posts too!

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