What language do you wish you could speak?

I have been working on my Spanish on the app Duolingo off and on since 2014. I’m on a 1026 day streak and passing tests with ease. So why can I not speak it yet??

I can read and write pretty well, I comprehend the stories, I can do the speed tests. What I’m lacking is practice. I have no one to converse with anymore. I used to practice with my waiter at our favorite Mexican restaurant. Now we live on the road and rarely go out to eat. My husband stopped his lessons on the other app-Babbel-so now I have no one to practice with.

So what is the solution? I need to find time to practice saying all my lessons aloud, read more stories aloud, and maybe find someone at one of the parks that speaks the language and ask them to work with me.

Why do I want to learn this language? English was always easy for me in school. Then when I was in the service, I went to Korea and picked up the language quickly, well enough to go to town and interact, shop, and club hop. Now we live in a melting pot of mixed cultures, and being from Texas, we have more and more Spanish-speaking workers and neighbors every day. I would love to be able to talk with anyone speaking Spanish to me any time I’m in that situation. Plus, my youngest son speaks fluently because he had to learn on the job. Kind of in self defense, so he wouldn’t be taken advantage of. Once they knew he understood what they were saying, they became an awesome team!

There’s also a great satisfaction that comes with conquering a new language. I feel pride when I pass the hard tests. I just keep moving up levels, but it’s not anything put together or practical for day-to-day living. It’s more like I’m beating levels in a game. First I’ll try the speaking aloud on all my lessons and see if that helps. Then I need to overcome my shyness to try it in public when I have the chance. Anyone with better or helpful suggestions, please speak up.

Buenos noches!