My Lack of Practice in Spanish Output

(This blog is the English translation of this week’s primary blog, which was originally written in Spanish.)

These blogs in Spanish are strange, but I think they’re important. I don’t get much experience with Spanish output, because I always focus on reading and listening comprehension. I watch Netflix and YouTube, listen to podcasts, read books, play video games, but I don’t talk to other people very often, and I don’t write much either. Only these blogs, once a month. It’s a lazy routine, right?

Well, I don’t know for sure, but I don’t feel like I’m doing something wrong. Each time it gets easier and I feel more comfortable. I don’t think my writing is perfect or anything, I know there are mistakes, but I don’t need to stop and think until my brain hurts in order to say simple things. I know a lot of phrases and I don’t have to look up translations most of the time, so I can just sit at my desk and write.

Okay, none of that’s surprising, really. I think learning is driven by books and TV, not by attempts to speak or write. After all, I learn phrases from books in order to to have them in my mind. These blogs get easier because I know more of the language than I knew the month before, without any practice in between.

That said, I’m worried that it could be the wrong course of action, at least partially. I’ve been worried that I should’ve started focusing on Spanish output months ago, and I haven’t because I’m too shy. I can already read 99% of the books I pick up, and I can almost say the same of the things I listen to, and while I have improved a lot in the past few months, I haven’t improved that much. It isn’t such a drastic difference that it shows that I couldn’t have learned to speak then. If I’d tried, maybe I would’ve gotten better quickly. But I didn’t try. It’s just that I’m shy and nervous (and, not to mention transgender and I’m still getting comfortable with myself), and I recognized that it wouldn’t hurt if I waited. I can always catch up later.

In this quarantine, I’m thinking about this sort of stuff more often, because I think that this situation in the world can be beneficial for language learning. There are a lot of people at home and online, so anyone can go to iTalki and find a tutor for a few dollars. Before the outbreak, well, who had the time for a tutor? But now, everyone’s going nuts from boredom, right? There isn’t a better time.

Maybe I’ll take my own advice and work on it, although I’m not sure. I am still shy and nervous. But you? You should not follow my example, and use this quarantine to the fullest. There may never be a chance like it again. Don’t be like me, be a winner!

Anyway, let’s get to the numbers for the week, before this blog gets sillier.

Tuesday 4/14

• Duolingo: 20 XP earned, ~0 minutes
• Reading: 6% of Una Oscuridad en Sethanon, ~90 minutes
• Watching/Listening: 1 episode of Diablero, 1 episode of Beastars, ~60 minutes
• Speaking: reading out loud, ~30 minutes

Wednesday 4/15

• Duolingo: 20 XP earned, ~0 minutes
• Reading: 6% of Una Oscuridad en Sethanon, ~90 minutes
• Watching/Listening: 1 episode of Kiwillius, 1 episode of Beastars, 1 episode of Daniel San GMR, ~60 minutes
• Speaking: reading out loud, ~30 minutes

Thursday 4/16

• Duolingo: 20 XP earned, ~0 minutes
• Reading: 6% of Una Oscuridad en Sethanon, ~90 minutes
• Watching/Listening: 1 episode of Kiwillius, 1 episode of Beastars, 1 episode of Daniel San GMR, ~60 minutes
• Speaking: reading out loud, ~30 minutes

Friday 4/17

• Duolingo: 20 XP earned, ~0 minutes
• Reading: 8% of Una Oscuridad en Sethanon, ~120 minutes
• Watching/Listening: 1 episode of La Zona Cero, 2 episodes of Beastars, ~60 minutes
• Speaking: reading out loud, ~30 minutes

Saturday 4/18

• Duolingo: 20 XP earned, ~0 minutes
• Reading: 2% of Una Oscuridad en Sethanon, ~30 minutes
• Writing: ~1000 words written, ~120 minutes
• Speaking: reading out loud, ~30 minutes

Sunday 4/19

• Duolingo: 20 XP earned, ~0 minutes
• Reading: 2% of Una Oscuridad en Sethanon, ~30 minutes

• Watching/Listening: 1 episode of Diablero, 2 episodes of Beastars, 1 episode of DSimphony, 1 episode of Daniel San GMR, ~120 minutes

• Speaking: reading out loud, ~30 minutes

Monday 4/20

• Duolingo: 20 XP earned, ~0 minutes
• Reading: 6% of Una Oscuridad en Sethanon, ~90 minutes
• Watching/Listening: 3 episodes of Calex MP, ~60 minutes
• Speaking: reading out loud, ~30 minutes

• Total Duolingo: 140 XP, 0 minutes
• Total reading: 1/3 books read, 540 minutes
• Total watching/listening: 10 YouTube episodes and 9 tv episodes, 420 minutes
• Total writing: 1000 words written, 120 minutes
• Total speaking: reading out loud, 210 minutes
• Total Time: 18 hours 0 minutes

A good week again, as you can see. Next week is going to be different, because I’m taking a few days off. My job’s been difficult recently and I need a break. I’m still going to work on this project, though, so I won’t take a break from the numbers. At least I hope so.

I finished the series Beastars this week and I loved it. It’s a weird show (and furry, and violent, and horny), but I’m a garbage person, so it’s perfect for me. There’s another season coming out soon in Japan, and I can’t wait.

I believe I’ll finish Una Oscurdiad en Sethanon next week. I’m still not sure if I can find more of the series in Spanish, and that makes me nervous, because I like the series. I should look for all the books soon, because I feel like that every time I finish a book, and that is ridiculous.  If I can find a bunch of books with a simple Amazon search and stop driving myself crazy, I ought to do it immediately.

Well, that’s good for now. The next blog is going to be special. Why? Well, it’s a secret, but I really want to write it. Until then, stay safe. And wash your hands. TTFN.