How the GUAC did I learn to speak Spanish in a month?

The incredible mini-course series which will have you speaking full sentences – Spanish with Paul

As a prospective expat moving to a Spanish-speaking country having no background of the language, the thought of communication can be daunting.

This was how I felt when I was planning to work at a hostel in Costa Rica – long story, but I didn’t end up going- and maybe knew two key phrases I learned during my trip to Barcelona this past summer. With six weeks before my scheduled departure, I had very little time to learn the essentials nessecary to communicate with coworkers and visitors to the hostel.

Spanish with Paul YouTube Videos

By chance, I stumbled across Spanish with Paul when searching “Beginner Spanish Lessons” on YouTube. The YouTube channel was started in 2016 by Paul, an expat who has lived in Riviera Maya in Mexico for seven years. These half-hour mini-courses teach you the essential phrases directly applicable to working at a job in a Spanish-speaking country.

I thought it was weird that the first Mini Course out of a series of 10 did not even start with the essential greetings such as “Hola”, “Como Estas?” which anyone who has ever seen a movie based in Southern California is bound to have picked up. In fact, the very first thing Paul teaches in his first video is “It is”, translated to “es”. Mini course 1 goes on to teach you phrases like “it’s normal for me”, “I need to do it today because it’s important”, and useful sentences you will need to know when suddenly immersed in a Spanish-speaking culture.

By the end of the first course, Paul will have taught you how to build sentences as intricate as “Querio estudiar pero no peudo porque tengo que salir ahora”, which translates to “I want to study but I can not because I have to go out now.”.

The videos are simply Paul speaking accompanied by words on a powerpoint which he highlights and edits as you listen. Plain and simple, yet highly effective. Each video has a link to download a Free Course Book so you can review the material later.

20 Min on My Exercise Bike Each Morning

With my stationary bike set up in front of the TV in my parents basement (livin’ the dream) I spent this 20 min of pure workout time each morning to multi-task and work on the new foreign language.

After a month I’d gone through about 7 of the Mini Courses, watching each one once with the sound, and a second time while listening to my house music and reading the words on the screen.

Now, after two months I’ve completed the 10 Mini Course Videos and cumulative test, and and am onto learning more material, as Paul uploads a new video every Monday.

For example, I’m learning “The Use of The Word Para”. In each video, you learn new nouns, phrases, tricks, and adjectives to build your vocabulary as you go.

Why Learn Spanish? Or any other language for that matter?

Whether you’re learning to speak spanish for a particular reason or requirement or not, learning even the basics of a second language is a very rewarding accomplishment.

You gain an understanding and appreciation for non-native English speakers, and understand why they speak English the way the do. They often translate our vocabulary to the rules of their grammar if they’re not familiar with it, and similarly, we may naturally apply English grammar to Spanish when learning at first.

During my time working in Greece this summer, I discovered that almost everyone in European counties speaks at least two languages, which is usually their native language + English.

There’s a lot you can learn from people from other cultures, and showing initiative to learn their language will earn you more respect.

Plus, speaking another language, or even just the basics is a great way to beef up the old resume! Myself, I have “Basic Skills in Spanish and Mandarin” on mine- I sound so smart!…..

Don’t just be that tourist who only knows “Hola” and “Dos cervezas por favor”… although ordering two beers always comes in handy.

Spanish with Paul makes it SO EASY to get started learning beginner Spanish. In addition to his videos on YouTube, he has created a full Spanish course which he calls “One Simple, Direct Line To Fluency” available for purchase on his website https://spanishwithpaul.com/.

Soon, you too will be wondering, How the GUAC you became so pro at speaking the basics of Spanish!