WHY DO SOME ENGLISH-SPEAKING STUDENTS FREAK OUT ONCE THEY HAVE THEIR FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH THE SPANISH CONJUGATION TAKING THEM EVEN TO QUIT LEARNING?

During my years as a Spanish teacher, and thanks to my method, my students are usually happy with the lessons and tend to stay with me for quite some time to perfect their language skills. However, I have had cases of people who were learning very well at the beginning: expressions, vocabulary, how to act in certain situations... but as soon as they bump into the first verb they have to conjugate, they freak out, and that's when I receive the typical message with some excuse that forces them to quit the classes and even they say they will be back as soon as their “situation” changes, the truth is this is the moment their adventure about learning a new language finishes.

 And why is that?

 1. Maybe complexity? Spanish has numerous verb forms that change based on tense, mood, and subject. This complexity can be overwhelming for beginners. So that´s why I teach encouraging a focus on practical usage and gradual exposure to conjugation and, in this way, helping mitigate these challenges.

 2. Maybe lack of familiarity? Unlike English, which has relatively straightforward conjugation, Spanish requires mastering various endings and irregular verbs, which can be daunting. But, there's this idea that Spanish is difficult because of conjugation, when it's actually much easier than the "non-conjugation" of English verbs with those changes of pronunciation depending on the consonant coming just before the verb ending. In Spanish, verb endings are always the same, so it's like a pattern: once you learn one verb, you know them all. And not only that, but all verb tenses in Spanish have exactly the same endings, so what initially seems difficult is actually quite easy and doesn't require memorization.

3. Maybe is perceived difficulty? There’s often a mindset that Spanish conjugation is difficult, which can discourage learners before they even start. But, let´s be clear with a simple example: the irregular verbs. Even though these students have already used irregular verbs like "poder", "tener", and "querer" in the everyday sentences I've  taught them. As soon as the expression "irregular verbs" is mentioned, they panic again. It's worth noting that in English, there are approximately 200 irregular verbs to memorize because each one has its own unique irregularity, while in Spanish, irregular verbs only follow three patterns.

So what these people need to do first is stay focus in their confidence and not thinkig of the verbs as a barrier for their communication skills, and encouraging them with a balance between grammar, vocabulary, and practical conversation to maintain their interest and motivation and growing their self-confidence. And about teachers, they must leave all the diplomas and certificates at home with their, your students aren´t going to write books in Spanish but they are learning a new language for their day to day, so forget about “weird” names like “pluscuamperfecto”, “pretérito anterior” and all those tenses and strange vocabulary that not even Spaniards know their meaning and teach what your students need with a techical vocabulary they can understand.

If you want more info about it or to start learning Spanish face-to-face or online at affordable rates, you can contact me here or through my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/share/1ZJFtq9gKG/

 


 

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