Niko Learns Spanish

My Spanish Learning Journey After ∼1,421 Hours of Immersion

I've never posted a progress update yet, but I've felt the time has come, so here goes. Disclaimer: It's super detailed.

TL;DR: Wanted to learn Spanish since 2013 and always quit. Discovered Dreaming Spanish in 2022 and I'm beyond grateful - 1.5 years later I understand native content and can speak Spanish IRL.

BACKGROUND

I've wanted to learn Spanish since 2013, purely for the sake of learning a new language. Back then, Dreaming Spanish didn't exist, nor did I know about immersion approaches. Duolingo was new in the language learning scene, and a colleague recommended it to me, so I decided to give it a try. I used Duolingo daily for about two months, maintaining some streaks, but it soon started feeling like a chore, and I abandoned it.

I dropped Spanish entirely and didn't revisit it until the COVID lockdowns. In the meantime, I had traveled to some Spanish-speaking countries and always felt frustrated that I couldn't communicate with the locals. I made attempts to pick it up again and purchased a self-learning book, "Easy Spanish Step-by-Step," which I used for a few weeks before quitting again. In 2022, after returning from a two-month trip to Latin America, I felt even more determined to learn Spanish. So, in 2022, I enrolled in A1 classes for two months (two hours per week) at Instituto Cervantes in my city. The classes proved to be boring and quite slow.

During this time, I also discovered Dreaming Spanish and Refold and decided to give them a chance. I had never been a fan of flashcards or learning vocabulary, so I focused solely on Dreaming Spanish. I vaguely remember coming across Dreaming Spanish in 2020 and watching some videos, but I never believed that such an approach would be efficient. Little did I know.

I speak three other languages (Greek, English, German), two of them I've learned rather the traditional way at school, which is why I was hesitant with the immersion approach when starting out.

WHY IMMERSION

I've never been one for traditional learning methods. They just don't hold my attention, and trying to fill in grammar book blanks or speak a language when I only know 50 words (as was the case at Cervantes) isn't my idea of fun. When I stumbled upon Dreaming Spanish (DS) and learned more about immersion methods, I was hesitant. But with limited options left and a burning desire to learn Spanish, I was determined to give it a shot. I had a feeling that a fresh approach might keep me engaged better than a traditional language class.

INPUT

I started my DS journey on July 31, 2022. Initially, I didn't have a specific goal in mind; I just wanted to understand and speak a bit of Spanish by the end of 2023. However, I soon found myself spending around 1.5 hours daily on DS. By the end of August, that had increased to 100-130 minutes daily, and a month later, I was hitting 200-minute days. It became a routine, and I didn't miss a single day for months, finding the process enjoyable despite not being interested in every video.

During the beginner stage, I binge-watched all Fabuladuit and Alma videos on YouTube alongside DS. Other resources included Peppa Pig in Spanish and Extra Español. By the end of September, I could listen to podcasts without visual cues.

In mid-November 2022, I reached level 4 on the DS roadmap (300 hours of input) and I was impressed by the progress. That month, during a trip to Spain, I was able to understand some things IRL and even say a few words.

I reached level 5, at 600 hours, in early March 2023, averaging 2.5 hours of input. My focus was primarily on understanding and speaking Spanish and not on a certain accent. After level 5, I reduced my DS input and focused on native content through YouTube and podcasts that I found engaging.

By mid-August 2023, I had reached 1,000 hours (level 6) and almost stopped using DS completely, keeping it only as a progress tracking tool.

As of early March 2024, I've accumulated 1,421 hours of immersion. I can understand almost anything said to me or heard in videos and podcasts, and I rarely come across unknown words. Even when this happens, I can most likely understand the words from the context. I'm on track to reach 1,500 hours by mid-April. At this point, I'm almost exclusively focusing on Mexican Spanish, which makes up 95% of my input.

Sometimes, I feel a bit of regret for using the DS website primarily as a tracking tool. However, throughout the past year I've been a paid member, and I reckon the goal of DS is to make you not needing to use it anymore.

I'm super lucky to have found DS as I don't think I would've been able to learn Spanish if it weren't for Pablo and the whole team. The approach and platform have totally spoiled me when it comes language learning and I really hope that the Dreaming Spanish team is already working on the creating a similar platform for another language soon. It's the ultimate resource for the beginners and intermediate stages.

My DS stats

I've watched 545 hours, 2,860 DS videos and practiced 554 days. At the moment of writing this, I have 875 outside hours.

Also, throught the whole process the Dreaming Spanish Discord has kept me very motivated seeing the progress of others and exchanging insights.

OTHER RESOURCES USED BESIDES DS

Here are some additional resources I've utilized:

Directed towards learners:

Native:

READING

I began reading at 600 hours, starting with graded readers from Juan Fernandez. I've read 5 of his books and 2 by Olly Richards before moving on to young adult books. Graded readers were enjoyable, and having vocabulary lists at the end was helpful. Some books I've read include "Tierra" and "Diferente" by Eloy Moreno, "Cómo hacer que te pasen cosas buenas" by Marian Rojas Estape, "Cuando no queden más estrellas que contar" by Maria Martinez, and "Los fantasmas de Fernando" by Jaime Alfonso Sandoval. Currently, I'm reading the first Harry Potter book in Spanish.

While I enjoy reading in other languages, it feels more like a task to me, but I plan to read more Spanish books this year. I struggle still to find a balance between reading for pleasure and reading because I want to improve my Spanish.

SPEAKING

I plan to do a separate write-up for this section.

CONTACT

Find me on Discord @cualquierx

Thanks for making it that far ✌️