Hi! I am currently studying abroad in Madrid, Spain. I am taking 2 Spanish classes to go towards my minor. This is my first time being away from the United States and it has been a great experience. I have really enjoyed being able to immerse myself into the Spanish culture and get real life experience speaking the language. I was nervous at first because I did not know how people here would react to me as an American. I honestly have had mostly good experiences with everyone here, but every so often there are people who refuse to speak Spanish to me. These instances have been weird and uncomfortable for me. It was somewhat of a shock when I found people that would only speak back to me in English because they could tell that I was not a native Spanish speaker. I think that the majority of them were only trying to be helpful, but I become discouraged when this happens. Tonight I went to a restaurant that I love and have now been to 4 times. Tonight the man taking my order only spoke to me in Spanish and I almost cried happy tears, because the other 3 times I was only spoken to in English from the moment I walked in. Him speaking to me in Spanish made me so happy. This is why I am studying in Madrid and the practice really boosts my confidence. If you are studying abroad somewhere to learn a language, I highly encourage you to use that language as much as possible while you’re there and to not get discouraged if the locals speak to you in English.
