I have settled on Kendra’s Language School as my current virtual Spanish language tutor. I play it on my flatscreen about 3 hours a day.

The program gradually increases (challenge-wise) so, over time additional, more complex expressions become known.

I’ve been listening (and watching) off and on for two weeks. Whenever I’m just listening (for example, when I’m preparing meals behind the flatscreen), I practice saying the phrases in Spanish between the time the phrase is spoken in English and when it’s said in Spanish. Doing this has helped me realize how many of them I already know (or have learned recently).  It also has helped me form/structure Spanish phrases more easily.

I have a feeling that, at some point, my brain will just automatically begin cogitating in Spanish. That’s what needs to happen because I haven’t been with Spanish speaking ticos enough (yet) to make that happen any sooner.  I feel certain that this program will make that happen. It’s just what I need.

I’ve also identified areas that don’t reflect Costa Rican Spanish

For example, when someone says thank you in English, the common reply is “You’re welcome.” In most Latin countries, the response “de nada” (meaning ‘for nothing’) operates as the default.

I understand the meaning: “You’re thanking me for nothing/it took nothing to serve you in this way.” But  this abbreviated response brushes off/trivializes the speaker’s sincere thank you. It sounds (to me) almost equivalent to flicking a bothersome fly off my shoulder. It extinguishes the goodwill of the “thank you”, almost. See what I mean?

Here in Costa Rica, appreciation and respect are paramount

…so the standard response to thank you (and a far better one, in my opinion) is “Con mucho gusto” (“with great pleasure”).  It pays respect to both the giver and to the receiver.   The reply is an additional blessing!

Another difference:  Tú versus Usted

This program suggests that, when a stranger or vendor asks, “How are you?” (¿cómo estás?”) “Muy bien. ¿Y tú?” (Very well, and you?/familiar)

Here in Costa Rica, only intimate family members and close friends call each other “tú”. Tú is a term of endearment/intimacy/familiarity, a word indicating an affectionate, kindred affinity.

For everyone else, respect is telegraphed in the response, “Y usted?” (and you?/formal).

But, overall, I give the Kendra Language School five stars (out of five) because learning a language there happens almost by osmosis.

Yes, I’m sure the fact that I’ve invested months and months and hundreds of hours reading and transcribing books that teach Spanish, and that I’ve used Duolingo off and on for decades, and that I took two years of it in high school and that I totally love the Spanish language helps, but this virtual “bow” ties it all together and helps reassure me that none of that preparation has been wasted.  For me, it’s a fabulous, free refresher course that confirms everything I’ve learned while giving me the opportunity to learn new phrases while hearing native Spanish speakers verbalize them at different paces so that my ears and brain will flip/switch at some point so I can immediately recognize them without automatically translating them back to English and then back to Spanish.  I want to eliminate the middleman (English) and think and hear in Spanish!  (I don’t know if that makes sense to anyone else, but it does to me.)

Kendra’s Language School is doing that for me.  And it teaches numerous languages, not just Spanish. So, it’s a wonderful resource for language learners!

Check it out!

(I receive zero payments for this positive review, or any other I’ve ever expressed on this blog. Just so you know.)