How I Learned SPANISH FLUENTLY! Learn Spanish Quickly and Easily!!

[@SpeakSpanishFaster]

¿Qué es la que hay mi gente?! Thanks so much for watching🙌🏽! Don't forget to Click Here To Get Your Free Training Called *_3 Simple Secrets To Learn Spanish Easier and Faster_* ➡ speakspanishfaster.com/youtube

[@mbshekay4527]

It's really great to see

[@JohnAndTeriJustGo]

I will be visiting Spain and Mexico in 4 months. Do you think that's enough to. Me to learn enough to communicate? So excited to learn Spanish. 👍

[@TheDorkKnight23]

I’m Puerto Rican but I lived in LA my whole life and was pretty much raised by my English grandma. So I never learned Spanish. But I’m really trying to connect with my Puerto Rican culture and learn Puerto Rican Spanish.

[@coolalcoolal4165]

Do the Mexicans your age even grow up speaking Spanish or is it a second language or out of necessity?

[@austingray6885]

Similar situation I’m in I live in Florida now so I’ll putting what I learn to good use

[@NGLaw56]

Same here bro, keep it up!

[@johnfranklin6394]

Do it brother! You will not regret it. My mom is Puerto Rican, but I grew up in England in the 70s and 80s. Having a mom that spoke a foreign language in rural England back then was 100% not the norm, and I had no interest in learning Spanish as a kid. But, I was lucky enough to work in Venezuela after college in the 90s, and became fluent while there. This unlocked the door into my Puerto Rican, and Spanish, heritage. I have visited family in PR several times over the years, most recently this Christmas. I have also been able to reconnect with cousins in Spain, and even found some in Mexico that I got to visit in 2016! Que tengas mucha suerte con tu aprendizaje de espanol!

[@meliussui]

Same!!! I’m half Cuban and pretty much everyone speaks Spanish in my family but I don’t. So I’m trying to learn much more. U can do it!!

[@TheKillakrip]

I am Puerto Rican born & raised in the Bronx. My Mom never taught me Spanish because in school she was left back for not knowing English. I have anxiety because every time someone speaks to me in Spanish, I am embarrassed. I am almost 50 and I am ready to learn Puerto Rican Spanish. Thank you for giving me inspiration!

[@theboyisnameless]

Bro honestly, whether you know it or not. You’ve helped me set my foundation on the basketball court, and what you went through is what I went/going through right now. My family is also Puerto Rican and Honduran and I hate being called the “gringo.” It’s so nice to hear your story and honestly I’m inspired and motivated by it. Thank you so much for this video, I really needed it for comfort. You should do more stories of when you were embarrassed if you don’t mind of course. But thank you thank you thank you I’m forever grateful for you.

[@SpeakSpanishFaster]

Salute Josiah! Much love my friend. I appreciate you, as well, more than you know!

[@alanamaldonado9417]

i love your story! im puertorican and almost 23 and i'm trying to find confidence to speak Spanish. My whole family speaks it and i understand it very well, but it's difficult to speak it at times. i still get sentences mixed up and forget words, but i'm trying

[@SpeakSpanishFaster]

Thank you Alana! Keep grinding. Never stop :)

[@ibelieveinjesuschrist8911]

you got this!!!!!

[@angiemarie4070]

Same I sick at it and sometimes when I try to speak Spanish some of the words are so hard to say

[@clarencehammer3556]

I am 73 years old and I have been learning Spanish since I was 15 years old. My first introduction to Spanish was when I was a small child and all through my growing up years our next door neighbors were a Mexican family. I was fascinated hearing them speak Spanish but the kids also spoke English. I did not really learn anything from them but the desire to learn was planted in me. In those days you could not study Spanish in school until you got to the ninth grade and then they only offered two years of Spanish. I was good at it and I loved it. The teacher was not a native speaker but she spoke good Spanish. The first year I got the award for Spanish and that really encouraged me until I found out that I could not win the award the next year too.The second year I slowed down because of that. I was so excited about Spanish then that I decided that I wanted to become a teacher but that never happened. I could tell you about that but I do not want to make this comment too long. Seven years later I started junior college with Spanish as a major and then went on to a four year university so I got a B.A.in Foreign Language (Spanish). Since then I have tried to keep up with Spanish on my own and really have learned much more since then. When I was in high school we did not have TV but we did have shortwave radio and I used to just listen to Spanish broadcasts every night after doing my homework. I listened to VOA and some Mexican stations and also Radio La Habana CUba. In all those years though I never had much experience speaking with natives mainly because of my shyness. I used to practice speaking by reading aloud to myself. As for the type of Spanish I used to think that there was a "Standard Spanish" and I hoped that my accent were neutral. My accent may be neutral but now I know there is no such thing as "Standard Spanish". I prefer the Spanish that is spoken by many Spaniards that do not pronounce the C and Z like S. One of my professors at university spoke like that and I just loved to hear that man speak. To me it sounds very natural but I did not begin to practice it until many years later and now it has become automatic for me.

[@BlackHoleSpain]

Hi Clarence, spaniard here. So you say in 1964 american students were studying a second language at 9th grade. How are things nowadays? From an european point of view, where most people start learning a foreign language at the age of 6, and some even start a third language at the age of 12, I was curious to know how that has improved in the US.

[@clarencehammer3556]

@@BlackHoleSpain My first Spanish class started in 1961. Now, I think some start even in first grade and maybe some start later. I knew a guy who taught Spanish in a Spanish immersion class. There are certain schools in Anchorage which are immersion schools. Different schools teach different languages and from what I have heard it is not easy to get your kid into one of these schools. He was a native English speaker who had studied and worked in Spain for a number of years and married a Spanish woman so he has family in Spain. He spoke beautiful Spanish. I met him at a Meetup for Spanish practice. Unfortunately here where I am now there are no such Meetups.

[@randomguy8228]

@@BlackHoleSpain as a current high schooler, for my high school, you can study Spanish for up to level 5. You start at Spanish I in the 9th grade, but if you already know Spanish as a native, you can skip to Spanish II. After that you can take Spanish III, Spanish IV, and Spanish V. Most non-natives stop at Spanish IV and are able to hold normal conversations in Spanish.

[@Sonicstillpoint83]

I wonder if second language exposure in elementary school/primary school is a regional thing. My mother was born in the 1950’s and she said that they had little Spanish lessons all the time by watching short videos. It’s been my experience that the most important thing in foreign language instruction is how impressed an outsider is when they read the curriculum. It’s always been my dream to take the English as a second language students and those trying to learn the foreign languages, and set up a conversational class, half of the time dedicated to speaking, one language or the other. It would augment everyone’s learning so much if they could see that others struggle with the language processing in the same way we do. Sharing around methods of overcoming the struggles would be an invaluable experience for anyone- not to mention a great way to make friends.

[@daphyneshine3222]

Awwww....I’m a teacher and it saddens me when children don’t embrace their native language. I always tell my bilingual students that knowing more than one language awesome and to keep being awesome. Its like theres this stigma for having an accent or speaking other languages. Also, you bring up a good point with the variations of Spanish as its true with Canadian, British, Scottish, South African, Australian, US south, US north, US east, and US west. At the end of the day we all still understand each other.

[@chronos401]

A person's native language depends on where he is born and raised not from where his older relatives or ancestors were. Children, who juggle two languages simultaneously, usually do not become proficient in either one. It's better to go the same route as the guy in this video. Master one first then bring up the lagging skills in the other. A foreign accent comes from not pronouncing sounds in the language correctly. In the early stages of learning, it's perfectly normal to focus on eliminating an undesired accent especially when living among native speakers. China and some other countries import native English speakers to teach in their schools. The vast majority of these folks do not have TEFL experience, English degrees, or teaching credentials. The children there become fluent speakers and listeners quickly acquiring the same accent as their teachers. In the US and a lot of other places, most language teachers in schools are not native speakers and have bad accents. They focus on grammar, reading, and writing. After years of study, students have solidified bad accents with poor speaking and listening skills. They cannot understand native speakers and vice versa. A lot of folks develop a negative attitude for language or other subjects because of bad teachers.

[@cheyenneclapp7525]

@@chronos401 M out g bum no on milk mix CD data by

[@aphr0d]

@@chronos401 i think it's become just a regurgitated thing to say bilingual people can't be proficient in either languange. Obviously in the case where kids go to school and speak one languange, and speak the other at home, they will know both but only one will be at an academic level. Secondly, i speak two languages very well and the only time one suffered was my family's native language because I don't have much opportunity to speak it, but when I do, it comes back extremely fast. Languages are a beautiful thing and there's nothing wrong with knowing more than one. As long as you're able to express yourself well and relate to others, then you have accomplished one of the most important things about a languange! Knowing a language at a high academic level is necessary for a specific thing, like university or formal writing or poetry and the like. It's really up to the person which languange they want to elevate to that level. A multilingual person will often have a dominant languange, that doesn't mean the dominant languange will suffer if they know another one.

[@inconnu4961]

@@aphr0d Its not a regurgitated thing to say, its a general truism! Are there outliers and exceptions? of course there are in everything. But generally speaking, one is proficient in the language most often practiced(used)!

[@angiegarza4145]

I found out that I'm part Puerto Rican, Hawaiian, and Spanish (from Spain), and other. I'm trying to learn my roots, and the language. My family never taught me Spanish, but I took Spanish in high school, I passed with an A+ but, I can't speak spanish, I understand very little. I feel embarrassed when people speak to me in spanish, and I dont fully understand what they're saying. I find your videos very helpful!

[@lizlou7601]

My dad was born and raised on the island and came to the states when he was 24 had me at 25 and did not teach me any Spanish.. he had the mentality that you are in America speak English.. I have 5 children who married Dominicans and my children speak Spanish as well as grandchildren I am learning now at 54 and moving to Puerto Rico permanently and couldn’t be happier!

[@DanteTubez]

I love that the guy that inspired me to learn moves in basketball is also inspiring me to learn more Spanish. Thank you so much 💯💯

[@SpeakSpanishFaster]

;) anytime Dante!

[@artaglow]

He’s an excellent teacher. I ought to know because I am taking his course.

[@SpeakSpanishFaster]

:) Thanks Kate

[@latanyacayson2559]

This is a year old comment, but I’m curious about how your Spanish is now since taking his course. I just ordered it over the weekend as a birthday present for myself.

[@Enzo-gw7zf]

Me 2

[@nalm9488]

Me three.

[@Mayoyaquiwarrior]

How you get the course

[@lamorena6379]

No doubt you had a huge advantage with all the exposure to the language your whole life. My 14 year-old niece understands Tagalog because her mother always spoke it to her from birth. She doesn't speak it, but she does understand it. She would always answer her mom in English. However, if she ever decides to appreciate the language one day, she will be able to pick it up so quickly. I wish I would have had that advantage.

[@rebeckasoderpalm8429]

I am Swedish moving to Puerto Rico and your videos have helped me so much. I mostly (and preferably) hang with locals when I’m there and it’s so helpful that I’ve been able to learn a little bit of how to talk and to understand Puerto Rican Spanish before I first got there. Now I have a whole lot of Boricua friends, and will have more!! 🇵🇷💕

[@eyesalooking]

Sounds like you had an interesting childhood. I enjoyed listening to your journey to fluency and found it motivating. I have finally found the time to study Spanish. It has been on my bucket list forever.

[@missval87]

Thank you so much for this video!! I can relate so much to your story. I did not grow up in a Spanish speaking household. My mom is fluent in Spanish but didn’t teach my sisters and I. Like you, I could understand some Spanish yet I felt embarrassed that I couldn’t speak it well. I felt intimidated and judged by other Hispanics that looked down on me for not knowing the language. You are so right about fear. It can cripple and hinder us from pursuing new opportunities and meeting goals in life. Thank you so much for your videos. I love your channel. I’m also a fellow student of yours and I am learning a lot from your courses. Que Dios te bendiga 🙏🏼😊

[@SpeakSpanishFaster]

Hey thanks so much for your feedback. I believe there are many of us like this but together we can overcome these battles. Thanks so much for being a part of our SSF family :)

[@dprodds]

I appreciate you a lot. My parents are Colombian and like you Ive grown up around spanish but ive always been afraid to speak it often because I'm not very good and english was always easier. I have been little by little working to improve my spanish but seeing your videos are inspiring and making me really want to learn spanish for good. Thanks for the motivation and making these videos!

[@SpeakSpanishFaster]

Thanks so much for watching Daniel! I appreciate the kind words. Stay focused. You got this!

[@robertlee3584]

My mom didn't want me to speak Spanish and my dad wanted me to speak both. So my accent and my speaking is not as strong as it could be. I didn't start studying again until 18. Here I am at 34, I'm almost Cuban/Dominican again lol. Thanks for posting this. I feel better about myself lol.

[@amysmiles9751]

I love your approach and your advice. And am about a 3rd generation American and quickly our culture lost and it can be painful or embarrassing at times. My family wanted to loose the language to adopt a new way of life and it is understandable in those days. I now want to improve my Spanish as well as teach my child. Learning any other language can open doors to new friends and places. I wish more Americans saw a new language in a positive light because it is not easy. I'm going to try your class along with some others it sounds great thank you.

[@inconnu4961]

Its about practicality! people are generally 'lazy'. We will not learn things for the sake of learning it, but we will learn it if its useful and gainful ( we think we can get something from it). Its simply people being people.

[@j.anthonyskelton7029]

I was born in Ponce pero I was raised in Lancaster PA. Spanish was my first language, but I grew up in foster care and lost out on it quickly and was adopted by a white family. I tried to relearn but gave up like 10 years ago. Definitely improved a lot but still farrrr from fluent. This is a good help in putting it in context.

[@inconnu4961]

Lancaster is a great small town! I grew up in harrisburg, but didnt have a lot of exposure with Latinos until I started this job at Ingram Micro. The Cubanos taught me the good spanish and the Columbianos taught me the bad words!

[@lf1496]

I completely relate to this, I'm Boricua/ Cubana from the Bronx too. I speak fluent Spanish now, the Cubaniche of my father who is from Mantanzas Cuba and the Puerto Rican Spanish of Ponce where my mother is from, but as a kid I didn't like speaking it at all. I went to Cuba and it changed my life. The richness of the culture made me ashamed that I hadn't been serious about speaking properly. The language is a bride to a lot of valuable interactions with our people. I speak it fluently now. I'm using your videos as a tool to teach my kids Spanish properly. They speak Italian everyday because we live in Rome. But I speak Spanish to them and my husband speaks Sicilian and standard Italian to them. It's important that our kids speak the language it's a bridge to our families

[@Sonicstillpoint83]

This has to be one of the most encouraging videos on KZbin. The imitation thing is key. I was able to do that with German because everyone learns a standard spoken version in school, which allows them to switch to that version when speaking to foreigners or that is not from the area. I am very comfortable hearing academic Spanish and after 20 years, can’t really communicate with The locals here in central Florida since my ears don’t hear any specific pattern. The technology to slow down music or dialogue, while keeping the same key or pitch, along with transcripts, is an invaluable tool to start to overcome that long-standing hurdle.

[@armandohernandez2926]

I'm half Puerto Rican 🇵🇷 my dad's full blown and he knows spanish but growing up he never talked to me or my brother in spanish he only talked to us in english and our mom was white so she only spoke english

[@amaroo5717]

That’s exactly my situation lol I learned a lot in the past year but still need a lot of help to speak it.

[@emmaramirez3098]

Same exact situation for me too!!

[@d.j.davito4155]

Same with me.

[@d.j.davito4155]

I am a crazy mix. Puerto Rican and Irish. I call myself a Mick Rican.

[@breerivera8865]

Same i am mixed with puerto rican and white and my dad never taught me :(

[@rodericwalter2862]

This is EXCELLENT advice. I was always taught the differences, so I did not realize that if you do not know that national speaking and vocabulary is different for every nation, then you will tend to think that all Spanish is the same. And eventually, you will have to learn the history of your chosen nation. Gracias

[@mailikes]

You are telling my story! Daughter of a Puerto Rican/Cuban father born in the states whose first language was Spanish but would not teach me bc he didn't want teach me "improper" language, and a black American mother who spoke NO Spanish. Always embarrassed by my Spanish friends bc I didn't speak the language, but I do have the Spanish tongue (pronounciation). Now, I want to move to Central America to retire lol! Your tips and lessosn are great. Thanks for sharing.

[@tomasfernandes6415]

You gave a lot of gems. Not just for Spanish, but this apply to any other foreign languages. Thank you and keep up the good work. :)

[@healthyandawakepodcast]

My Dad is Puerto Rican from the Bronx, and I also grew up speaking only English. Trying to learn asap so I can communicate with the Puerto Rican family. It's overdue. So glad I found your channel, great video!

[@SpeakSpanishFaster]

Gracias amigo! So happy you enjoyed the video. My dad is the same from the Bronx!

[@cristiansantiago1200]

I’m 22 years old and I’m Puerto Rican but I was never taught Spanish. My dad was deployed on and off in the military for a lot of my upbringing, meanwhile I would be at home with my mom who doesn’t know Spanish. I’ve been picked on by my cousins, aunts, uncles, and Abuela all my life for not knowing the language. I’m absolutely tired and fed up with not knowing how to speak the language of my people so I’m finally learning. When you talked about needing that desire to learn, I felt that 100%. You’re videos are great brother keep it up! 🇵🇷🙏🏼

[@raelamore]

I love how genuine and transparent this was.

[@wildworld4871]

You are the best ❤ follow you from North Africa . Here we learn Spanish of Spain.

[@laydabrattt]

Your story is just like mines I’m Dominican and I’m from nyc I didn’t grow up speaking Spanish and my mom never spoke to me in Spanish because she knew I didn’t speak it but you’ve really been helping me

[@dreamer1123]

I have been trying to learn English. You give me hope

[@Princess-Yoda]

I can relate to your story so much! Spanish was technically my 1st language. My father was born & raised in P.R. and didn't learn English until his 20's. When my parents divorced, English took over. I understand a lot, but always respond in English. I've been fearful of attempting to speak P.R. Spanish. You're an inspiration! 😁 ❤️ Your videos! Thank you.

[@izzy_211]

Rocky, me gustó aprender más sobre ti y tu cuento!

[@isabellamagazine]

Great piece. The UK says we don't speak English here. They say we speak American English. Your story of growing up speaking English first... is so common. Love the platform. It's so needed.

[@KeeshaMetcalfe777]

I have great respect for you and anyone who is fluent in more than one language. Great video! I didn't realize that there were different types of Spanish. I thought Spanish was just Spanish. It's funny because I know that there are different types of English like American English, British English, Caribbean English etc. I think I'm going to be focusing on learning Puerto Rican Spanish.

[@SpeakSpanishFaster]

Thanks so much for the kind words Keesha! I love learning languages. But it's funny because on the flip side, many people seem to know there are many different types of Spanish and don't realize there are other types of English. Italy is a pretty crazy country. It's one of my favs but literally every city speaks Italian differently lol. But that's great you are choosing Puerto Rican Spanish... it's by far the best ;)

[@lovealwaysheidy]

We have a VERY similar past when it comes to culture, language, and linguistic experience! Thanks for the vid!🌟

[@SpeakSpanishFaster]

Yay! Thanks for watching Heidy! I truly appreciate you

[@sassyratbastrd86]

Wow I relate to this so much! Fellow new yoRican who responded to my grandparents in English. Me and my cousins are pissed we’re kit fluent in Spanish now. Def feel self conscious about speaking. So I’m glad I found this channel! More PR dialect videos please :)

[@Hirosada]

I've been trying to learn Spanish for twenty years now, and I've still never managed to construct a single sentence or so much as order a meal. It's super impressive that you managed to pick up enough to be conversational so quickly. I'll redouble my efforts and try even harder.

[@Hey_yeah]

I always wished that my mom would speak more Spanish to me I could relate to this story dramatically This gives me a lot of hope though

[@SpeakSpanishFaster]

Yes, definitely stay positive and work on it!

[@linaolsson8300]

Your story touched me so much that I was crying. My family is from Spain, but while I was growing up they valued integration into American culture. My great grandmother didn't speak no English, so I learned Spanish when I was little, but I'd lost most of the language along the way. What remained was English versions of Spanish phrases (e.g. didn't speak no English), a few Spanish phrases, and somehow spontaneously going off in spanish in my head or out loud in the car when I'm upset. I've had many spanish speaking friends and visited family in Spain, and got similar responses as those you received, why do I not speak Spanish (read: what's wrong with you?). I became more aware of how much I am culturally Hispanic regardless of my ability to speak the language, and wanted to dive into the language and culture more to make sense on my identity. I took 3 semesters of college spanish, and can text and write pretty well in spanish, even in synchronous messaging. I can pronounce things well, albeit with a hot mess of Leon-Asturiano, Castilian, y EEUU español dialects. But try to get me to converse verbally and I freeze. Whether it's because I can't understand what the other person is saying, or I blank on a super basic word that I've known for years under the invisible pressure to keep the conversation flowing smoothly. Other times I'm fine, with more commonly discussed topics. I do talk to myself ( my most common phrase being dónde está...) because I'm always losing things, but I hadn't been answering myself as you've suggested, so I'll try that also. I just wanted to share because your story resonated so much with my own. Thank you for the work you've put into this channel, I look forward to getting caught up with all the videos

[@datdudemickey]

Bro our stories are so similar and yet so different that I relate to everything you mentioned in this video!! My quick backstory: I'm Ecuadorian/Salvadorian but never spoke Spanish in my household really. The only time I would make an attempt to speak Spanish was with my Ecuadorian grandmother who only speaks Spanish. My mother was born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx,but she is fluent in both languages,but my father was born and raised in El Salvador and came to the US when he was,I believe, 12 or 14 years old. But my dad learned a bit of English from my mother and a bit from just being in this country altogether,no matter how broken his English was. Our parents spoke to us primarily in English and only spoke Spanish when they were yelling at us lmao. They never really took the time to teach us thoroughly how to speak Spanish. I also took Spanish class in school but never took it seriously as you said. But it gave me a bit more foundation with the basics that I was lacking in. Looking back now, I wish I did take it more seriously. Fast forward a couple of years after highschool,my Honduran friend started to teach me a few things in Spanish,mainly insults and our accent (lmao) and it gave me a bit more desire to learn it. Especially when I started to work amongst nothing but native immigrants who spoke nothing but Spanish. It really helped out a lot even though it was an embarrassing struggle to go through but I'm incredibly thankful for it all. Now I have a burning desire to learn it fluently and I'm so grateful from this journey that even though I'm not where I want to be,I'm way better than where I was when I started! I listen to nothing but the artists that you mentioned like Bad Bunny and Anuel,and I've picked up even more Spanish that way as well. I plan on taking your course real soon to continue expanding and learning. Thank you so much for your services and also sharing your story,it's really refreshing to hear someone else explain what I have gone/currently going through. Keep up the great work as you're impacting millions worldwide!

[@LaneyaWiles]

I have family in Puerto Rico... but I struggle to understand them. I can understand people from other countries, but not my own people. I feel bad and want to change that. I've always been great writing/typing in Spanish, but I need to improve my ear in order to be able to properly respond in Spanish. Everybody on my Rican side speaks spanish confidently except me. I don't want to embarrass myself. My mom would teach me things here and there and I learned it in school from 6th grade until 11th grade and it definitely wasn't the PR way. I make it a goal to be fluent, but I'm still not there... still not giving up though.

[@marcelajoy8777]

I think your accent is excellent. I appreciate your videos!

[@tita89colon]

When I started to focus on just one dialect, I seemed to not make as much progress as when I was doing a more broader study of spanish though. My Spanish-speaking friends in Columbia, Venezuela, & Mexico told me that I shouldn't focus on one dialect because as you said Spanish is Spanish at the end of the day so it doesn't matter the dialects that you learn from. They did however tell me to not learn from the Spanish of Spain LOL

[@victortaylor7737]

My lady friend is from Honduras& I told her she is the quiet motivation for me learning spanish.having a Spanish name people assumed I was spanish.by the way,u are an excellent teacher,you give a lot of great points& the long video is to me a great encouragement! Keep it up!

[@SpeakSpanishFaster]

Thanks for sharing Victor! I truly appreciate your kind words.

[@lilosaquamoon]

my and your story are so similar. literally to a t. my grandpa speaks to me in spanish 90% of the time. so inspiring to know you learned later in life, as im trying to do now.

[@user-xm5rw8lw7x]

I have a very similar background. I'm Puerto Rican and my dad is from the Bronx. I was born and raised in Florida. My mom thought I would just naturally pick up the language, but I only spoke English growing up. I'd like to be able to go back to Puerto Rico and actually speak to my family. Last time I went, I ended up being quiet the whole time 😭. I'm improving a lot through KZbin and music though. I love Myke Towers, Rauw Alejandro, Bad Bunny, etc. I've also been listening to podcasts and reading children's novels in Spanish. Your videos have been very helpful and motivational for me as well! (Also, respectfully, please don't call Latinos "Spanish," we're not Spaniards lol)

[@douglas9660]

I’ve been trying to Learn Spanish found this video and recognized you from your basketball channel.

[@nikkijubilant]

Hola! I discovered your channel yesterday and subbed today. I can so relate to your story. I am French-Canadian. My Russian father wanted us to go to English school and not speak French at home. But every weekend I listened to French at mum"s relatives. I picked up French naturally. But anytime I tried to speak it, French people would reply in English. I thought the problem was me. I just had to find more patient, helpful French speakers other than my relatives. Such as at different community groups, security guards, bus drivers, hairdressers, churches and social clubs! Now I am applying this with espan`ol. Gracias!

[@SpeakSpanishFaster]

Great Nikki! Thanks so much for watching and for being here. Stay confident and focused!

[@crystalmartinez-jacome9836]

I recently decided to learn Spanish... You would think I would know a ton beings I am married to a Mexican who speaks to me in Spanish and we have been together for 14 years... The problem I have is like you when you were young I understand a ton... I just cannot speak it in sentences... I don't know if I'm afraid to sound stupid or what... But I really want to learn...

[@KikysVision]

Grew up with a speech impediment so I even struggled with English up until middle school. Started learning the speak Spanish in high school. What I knew before was broken but understood it 100%. Now 25 trynna be fluent and you Forsure helped a lot in boosting my confidence!

[@Ash-oh6nh]

Great video! Would you be able to do a video on the most common Puerto Rican slang terms and more Puerto Rican related things

[@SpeakSpanishFaster]

Yes I will do some more videos on this for you :)

[@wgnwBash]

Much love for this. Can’t thank you enough for your content

[@Mr.J_the_Educator]

I actually learned about you from the basketball training....it’s dope that you speak and teach Spanish too. Respect!!

[@uniquetwin6225]

A mi me gusta tu acento!!

[@hypnotqgreen]

I can completely relate to your story as a 1st generation Mexican. I grew up understanding but embarrassed about my inability to respond in Spanish. I can speak better now because I have forced myself to talk in Spanish. I, too, started with listening to Daddy Yankee :) and writing down lyrics to Reggaetón. I still listen primarily to Reggaetón and Salsa. I have a brother in law from Puerto Rico who I can message in Spanish. Needless to say, my Spanish is definitely going to sound like a mix of my native Cali Mexican with Puerto Rican & Caribbean flavor because I now live in Florida. I personally like that you are doing your videos in your Puerto Rican accent because neutral Spanish can be heard everywhere else.

[@SpeakSpanishFaster]

Thanks Raquel! You gave me more motivation to stick to my accent. Of course it's something I deal with, some people will say "oh that's not neutral, you're a teacher you should teach neutral." But surprisingly that comes from Native speakers and as much as I love native spanish speakers, what I create isn't for them. And the people I create my content for said they want my regular accent so YAY! lol

[@Fiestav783]

This video was very helpful. I've been passionate about learning Spanish since I was a teenager, now that I'm an adult I feel like I have struggled with conversational Spanish and struggle to translate Spanish, lack of confidence. But this video will help me improve. I'm actually going to Puerto Rico in January 2023 and I'd like to know how to communicate with the natives.

[@goldvideo]

Sounds like Northern Dominican Spanish shares characteristics with the Spanish spoken in Chile. (Cómo estai, en vez de Cómo estás). Much of this Spanish, including Caribbean Spanish comes from the Andalucía region of Spain and the Canary Islands. By the way, there are many many Spanish accents even within Spain. A person from Asturias sounds completely different than one from Andalucía.

[@SpeakSpanishFaster]

Thanks for the great input Steve!

[@primeartonline-pianocovers1535]

Thanks for the video, I have almost the exact some story as you (only difference is I also couldn't understand spanish when I was little so it made it extra hard to learn lol), both parents are "New Yoricans" and my grandparents are from puerto rico. Trying my best now, listening and speaking are still a bit of a challenge!

[@saka543]

Muchas gracias. This is helpful. I’m not Latina pero like I grew up around a lot of Puerto Ricans so I like their Spanish. as an adult, I’m no longer around them so I have less access to their Spanish but more access to Mexican Spanish which I don’t like as much. I’ll listen to more news and try to focus on a neutral Spanish. Yes please do more Puerto Rican Spanish videos.

[@lucinekhachatrian2124]

Loved all the tips in this video! Makes me even more excited to push through my Spanish journey. You’re a great teacher, and very inspiring. Thank you💕

[@davidvallejo1797]

yo soy al reves , quiero aprender ingles , saludos desde españa

[@JuanLopez-tp7hj]

Wow almost the same story as me I’m Puerto Rican but I grew up in Hawaii my grandmother was from San Juan also

[@romancurbelo3927]

So far my favorite video😊

[@alb91878]

I'm in the same boat with you as far as being puerto rican, and having parents from New York that would only speak English. The only thing for me was that I begged my parents to speak Spanish to me and out of laziness they wouldn't. I felt lost because I felt, what was the point of being Hispanic if I didn't speak my own language. It really bothers me! I'm 43 and teaching myself using duolingo, watching your and many others channels, workbooks, and BUSU. It's been really frustrating because I had 2 people that could have taught me my whole life and never did. I'm pretty bitter about it! I am going to be level B1 (at least) by my 44th birthday come hell or high water. Lol

[@inconnu4961]

Good luck to you! Just because some people speak English does not mean they ARE English or American, and just because you dont speak spanish fluently does NOT mean you are not a proud Latina! Why some Latinos/as like to shame others for this, I cant understand! People just need some way to feel good about themselves so mocking others serve that purpose! How classy, eh! I live and work in an area with such a high population of espanolhablantes that i can walk down a few streets and see everything in Spanish! So its useful for me to learn it. occasionally i have had Boricuas ask me if i was Latino. I am proudly of french canadian heritage and have some french-speaking ability but it never gets used, only spanish & english. once agin, good luck and please dont beat yourself up for struggling in Spanish. You are still 100% proudly Boricua!

[@alb91878]

@@inconnu4961 Thank you so much! I really do appreciate your kind heartfelt message! I did struggle for many many years and it does still bother me a lot. I'm trying my best to let it go and move forward. I am very proud to be latina, but like you said, people have a bad tendency to make a point of bringing it up or make a joke about it and now it only annoys me and I tell them that they should be grateful to have had that opportunity and they should spend less time making fun and more time appreciating their good fortune. One thing, that some people don't think about is the fact that growing up only English was ever spoken around/to me./ I think that's really cool that you have the heritage that you do, but still learned another language. Again, thank you so much I really do appreciate you taking the time to write your message! And good luck to you as well!

[@GlobalAdventurer]

Thank you very much. This video was very informative👍

[@AnthonyFelixCano]

My maternal grandmother never wanted me to learn Spanish even though she barely spoke broken english she wanted coconuts for kids and grandkids but I always understood Spanish but when my father died at 18 I met my other grandmother for the first time and shes from Michoacan and 99% of the time speaks Spanish and so that we could speak I started learning more Spanish. Now we have full blown conversations and it's amazing.

[@SpeakSpanishFaster]

Thanks so much for sharing this Tony!

[@ibelieveinjesuschrist8911]

thank you for this story!!!!!!!!! necissito a oir esto!

[@Oinnk]

You actually made this video! I am from last video when someone else commented it. Your amazing.

[@marbryant551]

Thank you

[@SpeakSpanishFaster]

You're welcome!

[@Touchmenot8]

thank you so much for this video! i learned a lot. es muy amable, Dios lo bendiga! saying hello from PH 🇵🇭

[@robertofandino5358]

hola desde México, para quienes el español es nuestra lengua materna puedo decir que en todo el mundo hispanohablante nos entendemos perfectamente. Puede ser que por unos pocos minutos no entendamos a alguien que habla diferente pero luego de que el oído se acostumbra a ese acento la comunicación fluye. En la costa de Veracruz la gente omite alguna letra al hablar, en lugar de decir "pescado" dicen pecáo, no es tan grave mientras se entienda. Desgraciadamente, en aras de "querer ser diferente", nuevas generaciones sin generalizar, destrozan el idioma y aparentemente no desean escuchar ni ser escuchados. Te mando un saludo.

[@SpeakSpanishFaster]

Roberto muchas gracias por tu comentario amigo! Lo aprecio mucho.

[@pb3254]

A great video and insights, I have the same challenge with my kids who only speak English and won't speak Punjabi.

[@SpeakSpanishFaster]

Yes, my neighbor is from Iran and he has the same issue with his kids lol.

[@michaelstubblefield3743]

Appreciate the transparency and encouragement. The perspective really helps. My major fear is making mistakes and being judged for not understanding everything or keeping up with the conversation. I'm too stubborn to quit though. I've started your program to reinforce what I already know and to try and fill in the gaps. Any other recommendations besides what you've already mentioned?

[@cowboytroy3033]

Very good backstory rocky..

[@Charlesthefido]

i’m a korean american and born in la, my mother tongue language is english as well, but every korean automatically thinks i speak it so now i’m trying to learn

[@kenshinhimura40]

Your story sounds a lot like mine. I’ve always hated Spanish because I was a proud full blooded Puerto Rican that the schools kids called Mexico (I couldn’t speak proper Puerto Rican Spanish) I think you inspired to push myself and learn. My family comes from the campo

[@juliantorres5138]

I’m Puerto Rican and was born in Yabucoa Puerto Rico but I never learned to speak Spanish because we moved to Boston when I was little. I’m 14 now. My family spoke Spanish a little but mostly English. I’ve been trying to learn to speak Puerto Rican Spanish specifically but it’s not working. Any tips?

[@mybeautifulview]

Thanks for this video Rocky 🙏 I really appreciate your personal process, insights and experiences, so lovely to hear. Hope you and your family are all well and getting through lockdown ok ♥️

[@adnelsantana7785]

I was born in Puerto Rico and my parents moved out here to CT and me and My brothers all speak Spanish very fluently some saying that we have a very strong accent for Puerto Rican’s growing up here but I have 3 major reasons 1 both parents and family members still don’t speak Spanish the community we lived in 99% of the people were Puerto Rican and only spoke Spanish and the schools we attended were bilingual schools and still today I speak more Spanish then English cus everyone I’m still around only speaks Spanish from at home and even at work. I can here the Bronx accent in your Spanish especially when you pronounce certain words I can tell that you learned Spanish later in your life but I can definitely say it’s still very impressive most Puerto Rican’s who are my age range 23 and younger don’t even know Spanish even with 1 parent being fluent

[@francisalexander4464]

Good vid bro! Takes a lot to be that open so your students have a good learning experience! Shows strength of character bro...bless up! 👊🏽

[@jamexicangirl]

Do you offer conversational tutoring? I think my problem is that I don’t actually speak it as much as I should.

[@jerseyboii96]

That was my problem, I can speak Spanish but it was very choppy and I stuttered a lot. I went to DR in March & I lost all self confidence when talking. When I got back to the states I started speaking as much as I could, repeating everything I heard when i was alone, translating English into Spanish and saying it out loud, I said everything I could first correctly then I said it the slang way (dropping the S, replacing the Rs with Ls, etc) I did this because I wanted to train my tongue to be able to flip between the 2 depending on where I am. I started to improve the more consistent I was. No matter what just keep practicing, a language is something you learn for a lifetime and your vocab will always grow everyday. 😃

[@inconnu4961]

@@jerseyboii96 awesome comment Chevere! Thank you for sharing!

[@jimmywilliams6023]

I think you have a significant advantage over non native speakers when you have been exposed to the language your whole life, even if you weren’t studying it but you were taking classes in high school.

[@amgooder]

Accent is one thing semantics is another thing...this applies for English speakers as well. If your follow the Standard way of speaking anyone can be understood. It all has to do with your educational background. A college educated student will sound different from someone in the hood who speaks slang, street terms "dialect" Someone from Brooklyn will speak and sound different from somone from Texas or Tenn. But again, speaking correct standard English/Spanish will depend on educational background. If your parents are College graduates then you will speak the language correctly.

[@indriadrayton1132]

You are such a help. I am subconsciously learning Nuyorican because of the location because now that I am learning Spanish, I can hear how proper Spanish sounds comparably. Man, we slang it UP in N.Y.C. !

[@SpeakSpanishFaster]

Haha Big Facts!

[@evolutionbe7150]

This helped, thanks!

[@catherinemurry2324]

Ive had the same experience of how I learned Spanish.

[@DaniellesrealWorld]

Love your videos and this video touch my heart because I went through something similar and I am still learning how to speak my Puerto Rican Spanish and your videos is helping me a lot.

[@SpeakSpanishFaster]

Muchas gracias por ver!

[@DaniellesrealWorld]

@@SpeakSpanishFaster De nada mi amigo ❤😊

[@iamenzo9234]

Rocky, THIS is the video I’ve been waiting for!! Thanks for getting this up so fast after my comment on the last video lol. This gives me even more motivation to learn Spanish! You’re the best Spanish teacher out there and your videos always feel like authentic, real world advice. This is why you’re a cut above the rest. Thanks again my guy! 🙌🏽 #Saludo

[@SpeakSpanishFaster]

You know I got you! jaja glad to hear that man. Keep grinding :)

[@kayd2143]

So I've been trying to learn Spanish, but one major issue I have is where do I start? I have to expand my vocabulary but I also need to figure out how different dialects change the words. But I have no idea how to start.

[@bestretreats]

If you master the basic "sounds" of each letter and way that words blend together, focusing on pronunciation FIRST (surprisingly easy) -- you'll save yourself years of frustration. It's like how we learned as kids. There's nothing worse than killing yourself over memorizing textbook grammar and vocab, and then having to spend even more time going back to change all of your bad habits and still getting upset because native speakers won't understand you and you never actually get to "feel" it.

[@FOIMARINES]

Great video and very encouraging 🙏🏽

[@askmichaelnow]

Hola amigo. I’m Puerto Rican too!

[@BobbyWitcher]

Great video, great story, very motivating!!

[@SpeakSpanishFaster]

Thanks so much!

[@jayelguerrero]

Muchas gracias

[@SpeakSpanishFaster]

Por eso estamos aqui!

[@solascriptura-e7t]

I'll be checking for that video covering Dominican Spanish (if you haven't already made it, yet). That's an upcoming vacation spot.

[@dijovanivelazquez7013]

Gracias! This video speaks to alot of people including myself.

[@covington105]

I love your channel.

[@alyssarivera215]

I have the same story! I understand it because of my grandmother and growing up hearing it all the time but I now notice that some words I have no idea what it means but I know everything else so I can make out what people are saying. The only time I speak Spanish is when someone doesn’t speak English and I need to talk to them. I went to DR for a week and man I spoke so much Spanish I felt like I was fluent 😂

[@KMO325]

This is an interesting story. Of course, I am "Afroestadoudiense" myself, but I grew-up in Temple Hills, MD in the 1990s to early 2000s and there were quite a few Latinos in the area (though not as much as there is now). They usually fell into two camps: Afro-Latino and Mestizo (from El Salvador). Afro-Latinos, tended to not speak Spanish that much in public, but the Mestizos were more likely to speak Spanish. First friend I ever had was Puerto Rican and I did not realize this for years because neither he nor his parents spoke Spanish during the time I knew them. The D-M-V was an "interesting" place to live during those years. Of course it was also true that Afro-Latinos, like other folks from the Carribean (West Indian) more generally, hung out with us Afroestadoudienses more than our Mestizo peers did. I knew a few Salvadoran folks well, so I heard Spanish, but I was not at al interested in learning the language at that point. I do wish I had taken more advantage to the intercultural exchange available to me in those years.

[@etexy5524]

Hola. You didn’t share if your mom’s side of the family had any Spanish influence. Also, how you became an interpreter. I really enjoy your videos.

[@SpeakSpanishFaster]

Hey Esther, thanks so much for watching. My mom's side of the family is African American and Native American, so no Spanish influence. I became an interpreter from interning at FEMA as in college and then working with them and other government agencies after that :)

[@williegaga]

@@SpeakSpanishFaster Wow Rocky I thought U we're 100% P.Rican decent.As it turns out we have something very much in common.My father like your father is a Puerto Rican American.His father is from Mayaguez and his mom was born in Rio Piedras,but grew up in Aguadilla.However like your mom,my mother is also African American lol.Were from Brooklyn,my parents have known each other since they were kids...Literally.Started dating in HS and have been married going on 35 yrs now.I only speak Spanish with Puerto Ricans(When or if necessary/or I want too).I learned the language mainly from Mi Abuela y Abuelo but every now and then my father,Tio's or Titi's would chip in.I've visited PR not as much as you,but I've been 7 times.I'm 38 yrs old,so not bad at all😉😉.Anyway This was one of the many videos that just happen to pop up while I was on KZbin...I read one of the comments/questions from a viewer.Read your response and ironically we just happened to share the same exact background.Keep doin' ya thing! ✌🏾✌🏾✌🏾