the first time I was funny

EMMA'S NOTES #65

I remember vividly the first time I was funny in Spanish.

It was a silly joke, but a big moment. It was the first time I realized I was reaching another level of Spanish mastery: fluency.

In the past two years, I’ve gone from having the basics down to speaking fluently. When I started taking classes in the summer of 2022, I thought being fluent meant speaking perfectly. I thought I’d reach a point where I wouldn’t make any mistakes.

But I changed my mind on that. I still make the occasional mistake. And there are a lot of words I don’t know.

So, what changed? Why do I consider myself fluent now?

Because I’ve built a personality in Spanish and lived experiences that I haven’t lived in any other language.

Now, on to this great Spanish joke. It wasn’t actually that funny, so I’ll spare you the joke. After insisting to my roommate that I wouldn’t hit my head on the open kitchen cabinet, I did exactly that. I laughed and called myself a ‘cabeza dura’—both literally and figuratively.

But it was a pun—a play on words that only exists in Spanish. In that instant, I realized I was no longer just translating my thoughts from English to Spanish. I was thinking, feeling, and expressing myself directly in Spanish.

For many of us, our first experience with language learning happens in school, where we’re taught that there’s a right and wrong way to speak. Don’t get me wrong—I believe it’s crucial to learn the grammatical foundations of any language you want to master. In fact, I took daily classes for 6 months to become fluent in Spanish. But beyond the classroom, you can reframe what fluency really means to YOU.

Languages are dynamic and constantly evolving. You will never truly ‘finish’ learning a language. Even in your mother tongue, there are always new words, phrases, and idioms to discover. Pick up some good literature in your native language; I guarantee you’ll encounter something new.

So, perhaps becoming fluent is less about never making mistakes and more about reaching a point where you can exist and express yourself fully in a new language.

For me, Spanish is no longer just a skill—it’s a part of my identity. I now have thoughts, dreams, and relationships that exist only, or primarily, in Spanish.

So, if you are learning a new language or want to learn a new language, I challenge you to consider what fluency means to you.

Maybe you want to work in that language, or travel, or make friends, or find love (can recommend 🤪)

Which language do you want to learn? I’d love to know who in this community is on a language-learning journey. Some of you asked if I could connect people to do a language exchange/buddy system. Respond to this email if you’d be interested, and I might organize a system/event.

Have a great week!

Go get ‘m,

Emma

PS:

The people have spoken. These will be the topics of the coming weeks. Let me know what you’d want next, and I’ll add it to the next poll/my list :)