At the Apiring Polyglot blog, an old post at the How to Learn Any Language forum brings Kelly to muse on always feeling like you don't enough about a language you're learning.
Interesting article, perhaps more frightening than inspiring! Does it really take ten or more years for a talented, determined language learner to get to the point at which she can comfortably read a regular novel, and five years just to have a regular conversation with native speakers? The moral of the story is that what is learned in the classroom is only the beginning . . .
I started learning Spanish in 1969. I am still learning. Just think about it: Have you stopped learning English? So, learning a language is a never-ending interesting, enjoyable, enlightening (you add whatever adjective you like here)journey. Just as I no longer formally study English, I no longer formally study Spanish. However, I am frequently asked, by native speakers, if I am Cuban? or Mexican? I get a big charge
out of that because it means I am doing OK with my Spanish. Oh, BTW I am neither Cuban or Mexican nor of any other Hispanic origin. Enjoy the journey I say.
Beverly A.