I took my Spanish language progress test today. I started Spanish about five weeks ago on March 5 and will finish at the end of May. The results were mixed. I tested about where I should be, and my tester commended me on my improvement in a very short period of time. Nevertheless, she gave me a 50% chance of achieving the required level of Spanish by the end of May. She said that it is very difficult to achieve that in just seven weeks, but she also said that she was optimistic that I could do it given my past performance. The news is not as positive as I would have liked to receive, because it means I have to work even harder. I haven’t worked as hard as I probably should, although I have to give myself credit for learning quickly and meeting my target set thus far. My wife is also doing well. She started Spanish from scratch about two weeks ago and is already trying to make complicated sentences. She’s more bold than I would have been had I started from scratch.
OK, now back to studying Spanish…
If you avoid accidentally saying something insulting in Spanish you are more than half way there. Like all teaching extreme situations (like military special forces), you are pushed to feel guilt and obligation to perform way beyond the norm. That’s ok considering what such a solier, or yourself, signed up for. Just don’t take it personnally and beat yourself up for being ‘inadequate’. Just get that nose closer to the grit of the grindstone knowing that is the task and "they" are trying to instill overachievement in you. buena suerte