Have you ever thought about how much of what you know in life you’ve learned in an informal setting—almost by chance—among friends, colleagues, or family? Most of the time, in such fun ways that it becomes impossible to forget.
A few days ago, while having coffee with a friend, he told me that although English is the official language at his workplace, whenever he gets angry, he always does it in Spanish—he just can’t find the right words to express his emotions with the proper intensity in English.
Also, a few weeks ago, I received an email from one of my students with the following request:
“Could you teach me how to flirt in Spanish, please? I’m going out with a girl, and after thinking about what to say, I have no idea.”
In language classes, these topics are usually covered only superficially. So, when students find themselves in real-life situations where they need this vocabulary, they often realize they don’t have it.
For me, this is all part of the culture—not just any part, but a very necessary one when communicating with Spanish speakers from any country. Even if we don’t intend to use certain expressions, it’s important to understand them to have a better grasp of what’s happening around us.
When I moved from Guatemala to Spain, I discovered my new favorite curse word here. A Spanish friend, who had lived half his life in my country (where I met him), came up to me and said:
“Rocío, I think that expression is too vulgar. Maybe you should use a milder one.”
That’s when I realized that learning a new language—or even just a different way of speaking the same language—makes it difficult to properly contextualize curse words so that they fit our natural way of speaking in our native tongue. Sometimes, we also tend to express emotions with an intensity that may not match the actual situation.
Because of this, a group of students and I once decided to meet virtually, each from home with their favorite drink, to learn— in a relaxed and interactive way—how to get angry, haggle, or flirt in Spanish. Of course, we do it in such a fun and engaging way that you’ll never forget it when navigating the Spanish-speaking world.
Gather your friends, colleagues, or family, check our schedules, and once you find the one that suits you best, we’ll set up a session so fun that you’ll never forget what you learn!
