I had an opportunity to be in a Spanish immersion program for four years while I was in elementary school. Basically, my entire schooling from first through fourth grade was in Spanish, other than learning how to read in English. Each year, I had the same students in my classes because we all advanced with each other. It was the best school experience I could’ve ever wished for because I’ve always had a huge interest in learning about other cultures and I now have such a great love for learning languages.

Unfortunately, I’ve forgotten quite a bit because I don’t speak Spanish very often. I try to practice whenever I get the chance, but I’ve noticed I’m a lot shyer and less confident when speaking with other people now that I’m older. I’m always so concerned with speaking perfectly that I stutter big time. :oops: When I was younger, I didn’t care if I made a mistake because I knew I was just learning.

Lately, I’ve had a chance to practice a little bit with a few people here and there. However, the best thing that has happened recently is a Spanish thread at The Host Index, one of the community forums I belong to. I can talk to someone whenever I feel like talking, I can take my time when posting something in Spanish, and they all help me out when I make a mistake. I may not be speaking, but I still have to remember words and grammar in order to communicate with the others and each post’s getting easier. It’s been a lot of fun! I think this is the first step to brushing up and losing some of my fear of speaking.