I’ve said it a thousand times: if you want to live (or even just travel well) in Latin America, Spanish isn’t optional—it’s a force multiplier. Prices get friendlier. Paperwork gets easier. People open up. Taxis suddenly appear out of thin air. And the empanadas? Somehow, they taste better when you order them in the language they were born in.

To cut through the noise, I sat down in Bogotá with Erik Vanegas, a Colombian English teacher whose accent is so good he could call your grandma in Omaha and she’d never know he wasn’t from Nebraska. We talked about what actually works for adults learning Spanish—without the guilt, the grammar panic, or the “Duolingo owl is judging me” anxiety.

Spoiler: you don’t need a perfect accent. You don’t need to memorize conjugation tables like you’re cramming for a biology final. You need structure, sound, phrases, and reps. Here’s the field guide.

Erik opened with a gift: Colombian Spanish—particularly in Bogotá—is clean, neutral, and slower than many accents. It’s easier to understand, easier to imitate, and a fantastic base dialect to learn before you wander off into Andalusian lisps or Argentine “sh” sounds. If Spanish is a dance, Bogotá is your friendly instructor who counts the steps out loud.

Grammar matters eventually—but communication wins first. Your goal this month isn’t to impress a linguistics professor; it’s to order lunch, ask a follow-up question, and make a new friend. You can’t learn to swim by reading about water. Get in.

Words are lonely; phrases are usable. Instead of memorizing solo (“alone”), learn:

Then use AI (yes, really) to generate 10–20 fresh examples for each phrase you’re learning and read them out loud. Your brain loves context.

Copy/paste prompt:
“Give me 12 short, everyday Spanish sentences using por si las moscas (‘just in case’), with clear, casual tone. Add an English translation under each.”

Pick a micro-domain (cafés, taxis, pharmacies, grocery stores). Build a phrase pack for just that. Master it. Then stack the next domain. Momentum > everything.

Erik’s favorite principle: input + one notch above your level. If a clip, podcast, or conversation is 100% incomprehensible, your brain taps out. If it’s 90% familiar with a few new bits, you’ll absorb.

Use Erik’s four-step loop (the “1-Minute Audio Method”):

Yes, out loud, to actual humans. You’ll butcher a rolled “r.” You’ll confuse pollo and pollo (okay, that one’s the same word). You’ll say porcelas moskus when you mean por si las moscas (“just in case”). Laugh. Correct. Keep going. Fear is the real barrier.

Daily (25–35 min):

Weekly (2–3x 45-min lessons):

Social (2x/week):

Pro tip: Put these in your Notes app with audio (record yourself). Re-record weekly to hear your progress.

Motivation is a warm croissant. Wonderful—until it’s gone. Discipline is your grocery store rice: there every day. Erik’s rule: “Schedule it or skip it.” Put 20–40 minutes on your calendar. Treat it like brushing your teeth. (Also, try pairing: Spanish only while you make coffee or walk to the gym.)

Apps are great jump-starts. But eventually, you hit a wall: no human feedback.

When you use Spanish—especially with someone kind—you learn faster than any streak counter can measure.

If you like Erik’s approach, here’s how he works:

Erik’s promise: structure, transcripts, sound-first drills, and the kind of accountability that actually moves the needle.

You’re not “studying Spanish.” You’re becoming a Spanish-using person.
You’ll ask for directions, buy fruit, flirt (clumsily), tell a joke, mess up, try again—and be understood. That’s the win.

Colombia rewards effort. People here light up when you try. And the more you try, the more the country opens itself to you.

Por si las moscas, print this and tuck it in your notebook: “I learn languages by using them.” Then go order lunch.