One of the achievements I look forward to this year is learning and speaking a new language. It has always been in my bucket list and it is about time to finally tick it off.
I chose a language that is close to home-Spanish. Philippines has been colonized by Spain for 300+ years and some Filipino words are similar to that of Spanish. If I need a speaking partner, there are Spaniards very close to me who I can talk to.
Since late 2018, I was already watching random videos that teach basic words and common Spanish phrases. I have also listened to quickstart Spanish DVDs lying around the house and even attempted reading the Spanish-English dictionary that has been with me since my university days. Despite these resources that I am lucky to have, I still find it hard to sustain learning a new language. I even begin to wonder how I was able to grow up bilingual.
So last January, I said to myself:
Enough of excuses. You deserve to be multilingual.
I learn best when there is structure and I can track my progress. To have a good foundation where I could build up my Spanish, I enrolled in an edX MOOC entitled Basic Spanish 1: Getting Started by Universitat Politècnica de València. For less than $40, aside from the unlimited access to the course, I would also have a verified certificate upon completion.
I signed up too for a free Spanish taster course from Udemy to see other methods of language learning. This is where I got to know that chunking lessons to 3 minutes a day leads to better retention and retrieval of information. And last February 11, I received my certificate!
After weeks of modules, quizzes, and a mid-term exam for Basic Spanish, I took the final exam today and passed!
Here is my verified certificate I worked hard for:
What a wonderful beginning to my multilingual journey. Muy bien.
