Yes, its the Sweden guy again. After Sweden I was going to Spain for a few more weeks. I will be an intermediate speaker by the time I arrive to Spain, but i'm a bit nervous/unsure that it will not be enough to bring me to a level where I can say I am bilingual. Anyone have experience with learning Spanish. I know it varies, but is there some sort of timetable? Thanks!

Hi there! I have a working fluency of Spanish. The best way to improve your Spanish is by emersion, like any other language. So, dive into it! :thumbup: Don't worry. Spaniards are very friendly, and my experience was that they really appreciate you trying, even if not fluent. Plus, most people understand a little English.

There is really no set timetable for learning a language. It really depends on the individual. If you have a natural orientation towards learning languages, then it will be a lot faster for you. I think though, that for everyone, if you can let go of the fear and embarrassment, and really focus on "enjoying" speaking, even if not perfectly, then one can learn a lot faster, b/c you'll be more relaxed and your brain cells will not have an emotional mental block, you know what I mean? ;)

If you'll be at an intermediate level, you really don't need to worry, you're at a perfect place for emersion. You don't have to profess to be bilingual, if you want to take the humble 'self-deprecating' approach, just say that you speak 'un poco.' :)

But you really have to reach out. For instance, one night I was hanging out in an Irish bar in Granada, packed w/ backpackers and foreign students. Everyone was speaking English. But I managed to meet two really nice Spanish grad. students, and we talked in Spanish, at times it was a bit challenging, but I had a great time!

Enjoy! :cheers: (Sorry there is no scientific method/answer...)