There are certain things about learning a language like Spanish and Italian that can make it confusing for us English speakers.
If you're anything like most of my students, you get a bit nervous speaking because you want to say everything correctly, just like you would in English. But I'm here to tell you that there are two things not to get hung up about when you're beginning to learn Spanish or Italian.
1. Word gender
It's ok if you get the gender of words confused. Since it's not something we have in English it's hard to memorize every single word's gender. And Spanish doesn't follow simple rules when it comes to gender. You'd think that if a word ends in -o, then it is masculine. And if it ends in -a, then feminine. But it's not always the case. So when you're starting out, don't worry about whether you've said the right article to match the word's gender. A native Spanish or Italian speaker will be able to understand you just fine if you get mixed up.
2. The past tense
This has to be one of the hardest things about Spanish and Italian, and it's especially difficult for us English speakers. Spanish and Italian have multiple past tenses, more than English does. If you are confused about which past tense to use when speaking, the most important thing is just to pick one tense that you know well and stick with it until you feel more comfortable with the others. Just don't mix the past tense with the present and future, then you really will confuse the person you're speaking with. 😉
Now on to more fun topics!
I've got several fun Spanish immersion events planned for you through the end of the year, including:
✨ 30-day Spanish fluency challenge 👉starts Oct. 1, get on the waitlist now
✨ Indigenous Peoples Day (aka Columbus Day) 👉Oct. 10 conversation meetup
✨ Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) 👉in-person and online events all through October, more info coming soon
✨ Daily conversation practice with native Spanish speakers 👉join my Facebook group to get started
Jackie Amidon Donaldson helps women feel confident speaking Spanish, English, and Italian like a native. Plus she makes learning fun!