As Spanish learners, we are eager to put our skills into practice with native speakers in the community!

However, there are many nuances to be aware of before we strike up conversations in Spanish or ask Hispanic colleagues to practice with us.

Consider the following experience:

Fernando is the youngest of three siblings. His parents moved to California from Oaxaca, Mexico before his oldest sister was born, and they do not speak English.

Fernando has the weakest Spanish in his family, as is common for the youngest sibling. His oldest sister, Sandra, grew up having to translate for her parents but Fernando has never taken on this role. He can communicate with his parents and relatives of older generations, but he does not like to speak Spanish outside of the home.

If you encountered Fernando as your host at a restaurant where he works, you might guess that he speaks Spanish.

However, if you tried to jump right into speaking Spanish with him, he would feel very uncomfortable. He was born in Sonoma County, and while he is bilingual, he feels a great deal of shame about his level of Spanish.

While some Latinx folks might feel relieved to know that you can communicate in Spanish, Fernando is not one of them.

Does this surprise you?

Takeaway: Let’s be careful not to assume that anyone who speaks Spanish, or we perceive to be of Spanish-speaking heritage, is available to practice with. Start to consider the myriad of Latinx folks' experiences. Not sure where to start? Ask your teacher!

Fernando is a fictional character based on real-life experiences.

Through our work with our nonprofit, Café Puente, we are very humbled to hear diverse experiences from Latinx people about what it means for students of Spanish to practice with them.

In this blog, we share our learnings and first-hand experiences so you know what to consider when practicing Spanish in the community, and how to approach these conversations.

The more we understand these cultural complexities and social dynamics, the more our Latinx neighbors will feel welcomed and respected in our communities—and the more impactful our Spanish education becomes!