Stalled Spanish

Three years stuck on pure input, then a textbook, a teacher and an exam date

Posted by u/DoYourWork123 in r/languagelearning on 2026-02-22 · read the original

Summarised here as captured on 2026-08-27. Posts can be edited or deleted after that.

Time60 months

Per dayunknown

Est. total hoursnot stated

Started fromself-taught, no money for teachers

Prior related languageunknown

Level claimedintermediate plateau, now working towards B2

Level evidence: exam. Backed by a named exam. Exam: DELE B2 (booked, not yet sat at time of writing).

In their words

I genuinely believe that during a period of three years i did not improve, and possibly regressed.

there's nothing like focused active studying for expanding your vocabulary, understanding nuance

Excerpts only — the full post is the author's.

Grouped by the job each tool did for this learner.

Their attribution, not a finding. People are not reliable narrators of which part of their own routine worked.

Comprehensible Input — Acquire a language by understanding lots of messages slightly above your level, rather than by studying rules.
Extensive Reading — Read a large volume of books that are easy for you, for pleasure and without a dictionary, until reading becomes automatic.
Spaced Repetition — Review each item just as you're about to forget it, so a fixed amount of study buys far more long-term retention.

The three-year plateau is self-diagnosed; no test scores bracket it at either end.
Daily hours are never given, so 'five years' covers an unknown amount of actual practice.

Not a criticism of the author — a guide to how far the log can carry you.