Written by Gabriela Estrada

To learn a new language, such as French, is to discover a new facet of life. For the Spanish-speaking population, it is the opportunity to open up and gain access to other cultures and different ways of thinking and seeing the world. Sometimes, native Spanish speakers tend to see learning French as difficult or impossible, but this is not the case! 

There are a large number of Spanish speakers who have gone through a roller coaster of emotions before incorporating French into their vocabulary as a second language and, in the process, have found the experience to be more rewarding and enriching than they thought it would be. Read with me to the end and let's discover together what goes on in the mind of a Spanish speaker who starts learning French and succeeds. Let's get started!

Five emotions of a Hispanic learning French

Hispanics who have learned this second language report uncomfortable experiences and mixed feelings at first. Many have found it difficult or unnecessary to learn French because, in reality, Latinos almost always understand each other in Spanish, since most of Latin America consists of Spanish-speaking countries, with the exception of Brazil and other nearby smaller territories, but when they discover that this language is opening doors in multilingual countries like Canada, they begin to recognize that from frustration and fear of ridicule they can move on to a wonderful quality of life. Let's see what this roller coaster of emotions is like.

• High expectations and frustration

Many Spanish speakers start out motivated by the idea of mastering a beautiful and distinguished language like French, but... the expectations they manage can be very high and that can generate moments of frustration when progress is not as fast as expected.

It is important to remember that learning a new language takes time and constant effort. So it is best to begin learning with a controlled management of expectations so as not to become disillusioned before moving on to even a second course or level.

• Self-confidence and self-demand

Self-confidence is a determining factor in the learning process. Some Spanish speakers may feel insecure when speaking French, especially at the beginning.

Self-demanding can be a double-edged sword, so be careful, because, on the one hand, it can motivate you to study and practice more and, on the other hand, it can generate anxiety if you feel pressured to reach certain standards. 

• Shame and fear of mistakes

It's very hard to say, but this happens in the beginning, when you don't map out a guided and focused learning path. Public speaking in a foreign language can be intimidating. Spanish speakers may fear making grammatical errors or mispronouncing words. Embarrassment may arise when they feel they are not up to par with more knowledgeable peers or when others correct them. 

Of course, the embarrassment of speaking in front of others is a very common emotion, but it should not be taken as a learned behavior, on the contrary, we always like to mention to our French students that mistakes are a natural part of the learning process and that each correction is an opportunity to strengthen a phrase, a verb, a word or a context. So, if you have gone through this difficult emotion, let it go, you will soon change and you will see that study and constancy are the key to strengthen your ability to master French, and not the other way around.

• Cultural adaptation

At this stage, the Spanish speaker already achieves an awakening of understanding and realizes that learning this beautiful language not only implies mastering the grammar and vocabulary, but also getting to know the peculiar and expansive French-speaking culture. Hispanics who become francophones see the world in terms of professional and economic growth, since the global market automatically opens doors for them, then satisfaction becomes a way of life.

The French-speaking Hispanic eventually recognizes and accepts the new customs, linguistic social norms and even different forms of communication.

• Achievements and celebrations

Hispanics often wonder if learning French as a second language is worthwhile, and when they discover the benefits in terms of professional and even immigration expansion they find that the answer is: of course it is! Every little achievement deserves celebration; from simple conversation to Canadian citizenship for speaking French. 

All the emotions you experience from French class one to fluent conversational level are good and necessary, consolidated French speakers went through them and at the end celebrate that they are bilingual. So if you are going through any of these emotions, don't worry, each stage will pass and sooner than you think you will be celebrating that you are both a Spanish speaker and a French speaker!

If you are learning French to travel to Canada, it is important to know the government's standards and how to approach studying at their levels. The CLB (Canadian Benchmark Language) scale is what measures your score and determines what type of immigration pathway you can choose. Planeta Immiland is our school specialized in teaching French to immigrate to Canada and we raise your CLB level in a personalized way. Visit our website and learn more about the courses we offer: https://www.planeta-immiland-education.com/.

Thanks for reading to the end. See you in the next blog.

With love, 

Planeta Immiland Education