I converse with the man who always walks beside me—he who speaks to himself hopes to one day speak to God—my soliloquy is a conversation with this good friend who taught me the secret of philanthropy. Don’t run away! Relax, you haven’t stumbled upon a page of religious proselytizing, nor are we trying to turn you into a lunatic who talks to himself to make friends. What our illustrious Sevillian poet wrote is simply one of the many testaments in our literature and culture to the act—far from uncontroversial—of talking to oneself.
The overused and world-famous “to be or not to be” of Hamlet, or the feelings of the cadets at the Leoncio Prado military school, are just two more examples of what in literature is known as a soliloquy or interior monologue—a device much cherished by those of us who delight in holding a book in our hands. So, why not take it into the realm of language learning—Spanish, in this case! If anyone dares to scold you for such a feat, you just have to say: “Careful! If Machado talked to himself to find God, I do it to find the subjunctive or the past indefinite.” That will leave your interlocutor speechless, likely thinking that “the subjunctive” is some new sect from beyond the seas.
Very often, our Spanish students find themselves in the following situation: I live in Madrid, I study Spanish at the best Spanish school—Cronopios Idiomas—I practice grammar and vocabulary, but the moment I walk out the door, I have no opportunity whatsoever to keep speaking the language I want to master. In many cases, their personal circles are made up of other foreigners whose native language also isn’t Spanish, so they end up falling back on the language of Hamlet. We teachers always advise them to listen to the radio, watch Spanish series, read, and above all: speak, speak, and speak to learn Spanish. But—how do you speak when there’s no one to speak with? Well, I have the solution: talk to yourself—talk to yourself as often as you can. Talk to yourself in the bathroom, in the kitchen, in El Prado or in Leganés. Talk to yourself and you’ll find it helps you regulate your emotions, focus better, organize your thoughts—and most importantly—your Spanish will take off in ways you never imagined.
So… should I just babble nonsense to myself and expect my Spanish to improve? Not quite. Talk to the man or woman who always walks beside you, yes—but do it with structure, exercises, and intention. Talking to yourself, yes. Talking any which way, no.
Let’s begin with the first opportunity the day gives us. We’re coming home after Spanish class, absolutely starving, thinking about what to make to silence our growling stomach as quickly as possible. To make things worse, we spent the morning learning food vocabulary, so our stomachs have been grumbling all day—and that’s a universal language.
Look up and observe your surroundings. Can you name five utensils or objects around you? Give it a try! We’ve got several options here, depending on your level of Spanish.
If you’re at an A2 level or lower, try naming the objects around you using the correct article and adding an adjective. For example: la cuchara gris (the grey spoon) or el plato blanco (the white plate). If your level is a bit higher (B1 or B2), you can go further and add a verb to the object. For example: la cuchara mezcla (the spoon mixes) or en el plato se sirve la ensalada (the salad is served on the plate).
This exercise is more neurologically rich than it may seem at first glance. That’s because the brain builds semantic networks to absorb new vocabulary—whether in your native language or a foreign one. It’s crucial that when talking to ourselves, we don’t just say isolated words with no connection. On the contrary, we should build those semantic networks with adjectives or verbs whenever possible. Also, by naming the object with its associated verb, we’re also working on grammar—an easy, intuitive grammar, but still useful and important.
Make a note of the utensils, objects, verbs or adjectives you can’t quite remember in the moment, but that you’ve learned in class. That becomes your follow-up task—look them up later and check the combinations that you’re unsure about.
At a higher level, we can do the same exercise by narrating, in Spanish, the steps we’re taking in our recipe. This allows us to practice all the cooking-related verbs—some basic ones (cortar, cocinar, etc.) and others more complex (hervir, batir, etc.), with all their lovely irregularities. And if we’re really feeling inspired (which is totally possible), we can step into the role of a celebrity chef and start giving orders to our imaginary kitchen team—using the imperative to tell them how to prepare the dish we’ve just made.
The only potential downside? Hunger might strike so hard that we can’t think straight and end up mistaking salt for sugar. In that case, you can always repeat the exercise after eating, once you’ve filled your belly.
This time, it’s the end of the day. We’re in full sofa mode—nothing and no one can move us. We’re exhausted, totally done after a full-on day of Spanish and everyday responsibilities. Let’s talk to ourselves—out loud—about how we’re feeling and why. Some examples: Estoy muy cansada porque hoy en el gimnasio he hecho mucho ejercicio. (I’m really tired because I worked out a lot at the gym today.) Estoy triste porque he hablado con mi familia y los echo de menos. (I’m sad because I talked to my family and I miss them.) Estoy muy feliz porque mañana es viernes y salgo de fiesta. (I’m really happy because tomorrow is Friday and I’m going out.) And so on—to infinity and beyond. Once again, we’re activating grammar, communication, and ultimately, our Spanish learning.
An alternative version of this exercise? Say the same things, but about yesterday—that way, we get to practice the past tenses.
At some point during your end-of-day soliloquy, you’ll likely realize you’re missing some vocabulary—a verb you’ve forgotten, a word that’s right on the tip of your tongue. Look it up or write it down for later. In the meantime, try to express the same idea in a simpler way. What matters is that you speak, activate your grammar, create semantic networks, and hear yourself speaking Spanish. Don’t stress if you can’t say exactly what you want in a more sophisticated way. And as a bonus (though this has nothing to do with Spanish), you’ll probably sleep better—and that’s always a win.
We’ve made the most of two key moments in the day—while cooking and during “sofa mode” (a.k.a. I can’t move)—to talk to ourselves in Spanish. I’m sure you’ll find many other moments of solitude with yourself to activate the language of Cervantes—whose beloved fictional son, by the way, constantly conversed with himself.
Don’t be afraid to talk to yourself in a foreign language. Beyond the emotional and psychological benefits, it will help you activate and deepen your Spanish learning. Make it part of your routine: before bed, after your coffee, while you shower—any time, anywhere. Soon, it’ll become an inseparable part of your life as a Spanish learner.
Join this great little group of people who believe that talking to yourself is the sanest and most useful thing a human being can do to learn Spanish!
Clara holds a degree in Hispanic Philology from the University of Alcalá and a Master’s in Applied Linguistics for the Teaching of Spanish as a Foreign Language (E/LE) from Nebrija University. She has worked as a Spanish teacher at various European universities, the Instituto Cervantes, and the European Commission in Brussels.
Cronopios Idiomas is a cooperative Spanish school in Madrid offering immersive Spanish courses for international students. We focus on task-based learning, high-quality materials, and personalized attention in a friendly and professional environment.
C. Espalter, 12. Madrid. 28014
CIF: F86423860
Tel: +34 915 222 014
Whatsapp: +34 660 754 138
hola@cronopiosidiomas.com
Leave us your email and we will contact you as soon as possible.
Accredited by the Instituto Cervantes since 2014
