Today marks the 50th straight day that I’ve studied Spanish with the language app Duolingo. This app deserves a plug. It is crowd sourced which permits a fairly democratic exchange of information and a reasonable accuracy check. Independent studies show that it is more effective than Rosetta Stone – learning occurs faster. I’ve used both and I would have to agree. It is also free.

These 50 days have reinforced how poetic language can be. The differences between languages is very engaging if you have an interest in words and their meanings. The moment that really reinforced this was when I learned that the Spanish word for “window” is the same word used for “nostril”. When I was growing up my parents always described opening the windows as “letting the house air out”, or letting air in. With the idea of a window as a nostril, the house is personified and can even be seen as a living thing, a member of the family in many ways. The windows are its eyes, but also it’s airways.

I started in the last week of January with the goal of basic fluency by the last week in April when I go back to Mexico. I have also been using Pimsleur and listening to 30 minute tracks on my phone. My comfort level with the language has skyrocketed even though obviously knowing roughly 2,000 words isn’t quite enough. Yet, it’s not too far off since fluency is estimated to occur at the 3,000 word mark. I’ve averages about a thousand words a month. I have one month to go..