Berg Blog

Today I had the chance to fulfill one of my Spanish related goals. In both my junior and senior years of high school, Mrs. Nemer was my teacher. Her enthusiasm for teaching and effervescent personality made Spanish seem especially inviting. Junior year wasn’t always so much fun because it was filled with written exercises and [...]

Will someone explain to me how two white boys from North Dakota can be so interested in Spanish? For whatever reason, both my brother Paul and I enjoy learning the language more than most. I’m trying to figure this out now as I face two divergent emotions. There has to be a reason. On one [...]

They say dreaming in another language is one of the best signs of progress. It means you’re really beginning to think in that language. After five months, it finally happened to me! The dream wasn’t completely in Spanish, but who cares? Vanesa and I were somewhere in Fargo, walking down the bike path with Paul, [...]

I just finished reading my first book in Spanish, Relato de un Náufrago by Gabriel García Márquez. Sure, we read a couple small books in high school, but I wouldn’t have understood a thing if it weren’t for the help of my teacher Mrs. Nemer. Back then, I had to translate everything verbatim and then [...]

This is how to go to school folks! Or as the kids say “This is how I roll.” Forget taking the hot, crowded subway and dodging people in noisy, crowded downtown area. Forget a congested, dilapidated, hot “school building.” Forget frustrations with the school and disrespect for the students. I have private classes!
The classes cost [...]

Today was my last day of language school. I wish I had been sad to leave, but given the problems with the school, I can´t say this. The final day was especially frustrating because they pulled many of the professors out of the classes for a special meeting. I had to spend my final day [...]

I´m learning a lot, but holy crap am I drained! Four intense hours of class and thinking the whole day in Spanish is work. I was tired at times in the past, but this is a different level of tired. Last weekend I was having some really good success with speaking and understanding. But starting [...]

It´s not technically a private class, but it is. I was without classmates this last week and had 3.5 hours of Spanish practice every day. Great practice, but a lot of work! I can tell I improved, but it also reminds me how much work this takes. Marisa, my teacher, is pleasant but not much [...]

Alright, yesterday I drew a line in the sand. I made some good progress during my first month, but want to do better. I love Spanish and enjoy learning it. The biggest obstacle in my way is the segmentation of my day. I spend the morning learning Spanish in class and practicing. But in the [...]

It seems there has been great concern about the possibility of me punching the Austrian girl in my class. After 3 days, I can safely say this is no longer an issue. I think it drove me nuts because it´s so easy for her because of her background in Italian. Maria is actually very sweet [...]