I’d like to talk about an experience I had a couple of summers ago when I went on holiday to a small coastal town in Spain. I’d been learning Spanish on a mobile app for about six months beforehand, but I’d never actually tried conversing with a native speaker in real life, so I was definitely pushed out of my comfort zone.
One afternoon, I decided to visit a quiet, family-run bakery off the beaten track to buy some regional pastries and ask for directions to a nearby viewpoint. The shop was run by an elderly gentleman who didn't speak any English at all, which meant I had no choice but to rely entirely on my rather limited Spanish.
At first, my mind went completely blank. However, I managed to break the ice by greeting him politely and asking about the different types of pastries in the display case. I wanted to check whether one of them contained dairy because of a dietary issue, and afterwards, I attempted to ask which local bus would take me up to the cliffs. I must admit, my grammar was quite rusty and I had to stumble over my words a fair bit, occasionally resorting to hand gestures to convey what I meant.
To be honest, the whole interaction was rather nerve-racking at the start, as I was terrified of making silly mistakes or causing confusion. But the baker was remarkably patient and encouraging, which immediately put me at ease. Once I realised we could actually understand each other, I felt a massive sense of relief, followed by a real boost in confidence. It was immensely satisfying to see that even basic language skills can bridge a communication gap.