My trip to Mexico as a Spanish speaker
Wednesday, 1st April 2009
At Cactus Language, we try to get out and visit our schools as much as possible, which is exactly why I headed to Mexico.
My 10 day trip was jam packed. I visited three schools in Playa del Carmen, two in Mexico City, a school in Cuernavaca, a school in Oaxaca and two schools in Puerto Escondido. Mexico is a very popular destination for North Americans who go abroad to learn Spanish, so I was very excited to finally visit the schools that I knew so much about.
During the plane ride, I thought about my experience of learning to speak Spanish for the first time in Mexico and how I was lucky enough to continue studying Spanish in Costa Rica for two months every year from the time that I was 12 years old until I was 18. Those months were definitely filled with some of the most amazing experiences that I have ever had. It was only natural for me to go on to study Spanish and Latin American literature at University because I wanted to be fluent. I love everything about the Spanish language!
Then I realized that it had been over 5 years since I had been in a Spanish speaking country. What if I had forgotten my Spanish? Suddenly, my teenage anxieties of being the (extremely pale) tourist resurfaced and I became very nervous. The line at customs seemed to fly by despite the fact that there were a hundred people in front of me. I approached the customs agent as slowly as I could and handed him my passport, too nervous to speak in Spanish. He wished me a great trip, in English. It was when I got into the taxi that I was quickly reminded why I love learning languages - I love being immersed in the culture. As soon as I read the address of the first school that I was going to visit, the taxi driver said ‘Wow, you speak Spanish!’ and when I replied ‘Si, claro’, all of my anxieties slipped away in an instant. I spent the entire ride talking to him about where he was from, his family and how long he had been a taxi driver. He asked me where I was from and how I learned to speak Spanish. It was great to interact with a local in one of the most touristy areas in Mexico. I was immediately immersed and loved every minute of it.
The last time that I had been in a Spanish speaking country I was still learning, and now speaking Spanish came so easily to me. I didn’t stop talking for the rest of the trip. I know where to book the most affordable tours in Playa del Carmen, I learned about what Mexico City was like in the 1960’s from the security guard at the school and he also told me where to find the most delicious Tostadas. I walked through one of Cuernavaca’s most beautiful and historical garden restaurants and made a comment about how cactus leaves have always seemed very unappetizing to me, but that I would be willing to try one. I was immediately brought an amazing Margarita made from cactus leaves. I played cards with a group of kids in Oaxaca who were taking a break from practicing a cultural dance for an upcoming festival. Oaxaca is a beautiful colonial city and everything about it feels very Latin American.
My ability to speak Spanish also got me a free tour of Puerto Escondido. My taxi driver from the airport wanted to show me all the sites when I explained that I was only going to be in Puerto for two days. He told me about the tourist traps that I could skip and the secret beaches that I had to visit, where the internet cafes were, and the easiest way to get to the school. It was so much information that I struggled to remember it once he dropped me off an hour later. I felt very confident asking for directions when I found myself in the middle of the construction site that the taxi driver from the day before had told me specifically to avoid. And I learned that I had to give my lettuce to the Iguana’s sitting next to me at the restaurant if I was planning on eating the rest of my meal.
Going abroad is a great experience; however being able to speak the language and speak to those around you makes the experience that much better. In ten days, my Spanish improved and I left feeling a hundred times more confident and able than when I had arrived. It was a great feeling and a great trip!
I quickly remembered how much easier ( and more fun) it is to be abroad when you can speak the language.
Tags: spanish, language course, mexico, spanish course
Posted by Lara Walker under Experience Cultures,
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