“Learning Spanish has made life in Latin America easier and more fun.” #BaseLangStories

Luna always knew Spanish would open doors, but traveling Latin America as a cultural anthropologist made her realize how many were still closed. Free resources and immersion got her the basics, but real connection with locals required more than YouTube could offer. She joined BaseLang’s Real World program for the structure, the flexibility, and the one thing no app can replicate: a real person to practice with. Now she’s having conversations she never could before.

BaseLangStories series puts the spotlight on BaseLang students – asking them about their motivations for learning a foreign language, what impact learning Spanish has had on their lives, advice they have for fellow students, and more.

What’s your name? Where are you from?

My name is Luna! I’m 25 and from the Netherlands. I’m a cultural anthropologist and I’ve been traveling Latin America for the past year and a half, having the best time exploring all the different cultures within Latin America. 

Why did you want to learn Spanish? 

First of all, I’ve always wanted to learn a third language and Spanish has always been the one I’ve been most interested in. It’s just such a useful language, cause at home in Amsterdam I used to have a ton of Latin friends, but especially now that I’m traveling Latin America of course. I’ve also always had a specific interest in Latin culture, and it’s quite hard to try to learn more about this part of the world without speaking Spanish!

In the past, what resources have you used to learn Spanish, and why didn’t they help? 

I used to think spending enough time in a country would automatically make you learn the language haha (spoiler alert: it doesn’t work like that). Then I found out you have to actually put in the work, and since I’m a budget traveler I started out trying to learn just by using free online resources. I followed a course on Youtube, took notes, and tried to speak in Spanish with my Latin friends. It helped me understand the basics but it wasn’t really the way for me to reach fluency. 

In the past, which part of learning Spanish did you struggle with the most? 

Speaking. Because I was only using these online resources I continued talking the the same way that I was used to, even though I was making mistakes. The internet can teach you a lot but it’ll never be the same as being 1:1 with a(n) (online)  teacher. 

What did you find as a result of signing up for this program?

It really helped me a ton! I got to go over so many gaps in my Spanish knowledge, practice conversing, expanding grammar. The best part was that the program is so flexible that you can focus on whatever you want to focus on, as well as put in as much time and effort as you want – get as much out of it as you want. 

What specific feature did you like the most about this program?

I liked following the curriculum, cause I feel like I need some structure when learning. But then again, I also always liked the fact there was no real schedule or anything, so whatever I felt like practicing (whether it was reading, conversing, etc.) was also always possible. 

How has learning Spanish impacted your life? 

It has enriched my experience here in Latin America so so much. I can connect to the locals in ways that I never could using just English, and I can speak to so many more people now. It’s made life here easier and more fun. 

Would you recommend this course, if so, why?

Definitely! Such good value for what you’re paying, especially compared to other courses. And you can get so much out of it, just make sure you have a bunch of time and are dedicated, and even a month of classes can improve your Spanish so much.