“After a few weeks, my confidence improved exponentially” #BaseLangStories

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Meet Sarah, a BaseLang student from the UK who had attempted to learn Spanish several times, but always lacked speaking practice.

When the pandemic hit, she decided to use her time in lockdown to try learning Spanish again – this time with BaseLang!

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.

So, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

¡Hola a todos!

My name is Sarah and I am 24 years old. I live in London, England, and have been working in politics for the last 3 years. In normal times I like to travel to new countries and experience different cultures. I joined BaseLang as a Real World student in June 2020 and after completing this course I moved onto the DELE* program at the start of 2021.

(*the DELE program is now free to all Real World students)

Why did you want to learn Spanish?

I had always wanted to learn a language but the options available to me at school were either French or German. I struggled with both of these languages and believed I was just “bad at languages” so I quit all of them at 13. However, when I graduated from university, I decided I wanted to travel to South America in 2018, and here I began my Spanish learning journey.

In the past, what did you use to learn Spanish?

Before I went on my trip, I tried using Duolingo but found when I arrived on the continent, I could only read Spanish and I could not speak or understand it. During my travels, I decided to do 2 weeks in a Spanish school in Colombia which significantly improved my grammar and vocabulary but when I returned to the UK I struggled to continue learning without the immersive experience.

After my travels, I tried taking evening classes at a school in London but because this was in a group setting, I found it hard to gain real speaking practice with a native speaker.

Before BaseLang, which part of learning Spanish did you struggle with the most?

Before BaseLang I was often too shy to start a conversation with a native Spanish speaker and would obsess over making mistakes.

I even remember being so nervous before my first BaseLang lesson!

Additionally, where I had been practicing on my own, I found my reading and writing comprehension was far better than my pronunciation, speaking, and listening. Since speaking and listening are arguably the most useful skills in knowing a language I decided I needed to focus more time on creating real conversations with native speakers.

What obstacle would have prevented you from signing up for BaseLang before?

I first heard about BaseLang way back in 2018 from another backpacker in Colombia and had it bookmarked for years.

At first, I didn’t think I’d have enough time available to make the most of the unlimited offer by doing multiple lessons a week. I decided to go with weekly classes at a school in London, but I found that where I was only practicing once a week I was not progressing.

When the pandemic hit, I decided to sign up to BaseLang since I had more time available and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. BaseLang is excellent value for money.

What did you find as a result of signing up?

Within just a few weeks I found my confidence improved exponentially and I found I worried less about making mistakes because of the relaxed environment my teachers created in lessons.

I initially set out to do 3 hours a week as to make the most of my subscription but found I was doing 7 or more as I enjoyed it so much – I would even try and fit one in my lunch break whilst working from home!

What did you like the most about the Real World program?

One of the best things about the Real-World program is the variety of teachers available.

Once I found my favorite teachers it felt less like school and more like hanging out with good friends. I was also impressed with the variety of teachers available and the flexibility of the course – if something came up at work or I had to work late I could cancel a class last minute or book another one at short notice.

All of this from the comfort of my own home! I also appreciated I could take classes from morning until evening catering to both weekday evenings and weekend mornings.

How has learning Spanish impacted your life?

Because of the pandemic, I had a lot of spare time on my hands in the evening and on the weekend.

My focus on learning Spanish has given me a goal to work towards and a huge sense of achievement over the course of a long year of lockdowns. I hope to travel to Spanish-speaking countries and use my newly acquired skill when things return to normal.

Would you recommend this program, if so, why?

BaseLang has completely revolutionized learning a language and it offers the closest experience you will get to immersive learning – other than living in another country!

The platform is unbelievably flexible and allows you to learn at your own pace at any hour of the day, although you will be amazed at how quickly you will progress. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who is serious about learning Spanish.

Any advice for other BaseLang students?

BaseLang’s most valuable resource is its teachers, but don’t overlook all of the resources that are available to you.

The Sounds of Spanish course hugely improved my pronunciation and more importantly my listening skills.

I highly recommend taking this course before you start your lessons and you should also use the Memrise flashcards throughout the course to help build your vocabulary.

¡Buena suerte!

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