Hi [FIRST NAME GOES HERE],

If you’ve been learning phrases, vocabulary, and grammar for months but still can’t THINK in Spanish, you’re not alone.

Most Spanish students spend a lot of time and effort learning Spanish words, phrases, and grammar, but that still doesn’t help them reach the thinking in Spanish phase. They get stuck in the learning phase.

Because unfortunately, Spanish apps, books, and podcasts are not designed to actually get you fluent in Spanish. Instead, their goal is to keep you entertained!

Sounds harsh, but it’s true. Podcasters are rewarded for keeping you listening (not getting you fluent). Publishing companies are rewarded for selling more books (not getting you fluent). And language apps are engineered to get you logging in, tapping on your phone, and entertaining yourself daily… not to make you fluent.

There’s only one way you’ll become fluent, and that’s through the process of learning to THINK in Spanish. And this means doing the hard stuff!

The “entertaining” elements of the Spanish language — colors, numbers, greetings, and travel phrases — might be fun, but they aren’t the best path to fluency.

Remember last Monday’s email, where I talked to you about the 12 words far more beneficial to learn than greetings like hola or buenas noches? Yes, words like lo and ser are hard to master.

And so are subjunctives, which are essential to real Spanish conversation. (Be sure to check out the email I sent you last Friday for a more efficient and less overwhelming way to learn them.)

But doing these hard things is how you attain fluency.

That’s why we make sure that the first thing our students do is master the top 100 most frequently used words in Spanish. Do that and you will have mastered 50% of the language.

It’s going to take a lot of work, but once you get there, you’ll suddenly find that you’re able to form Spanish sentences in your head without needing to translate every word. And in just a couple of weeks after that, you’ll even be thinking in Spanish.

Just ask Raghav! He knew two words in Spanish: bueno and amigo.

When he signed up to work with us, we started with the top 100 words in the language. Soon he was having hour-long conversations in Spanish — and by the end of 8 weeks, he tested out of the highest level of college Spanish.

Check out Raghav’s story: ​How I Learned Spanish in 8 Weeks​

We ensure all our students go through this process, so we know it works.

If your New Year’s resolution is to finally start thinking in Spanish, start by mastering these top 100 words. And I don’t mean just memorizing the words — you have to learn how to use them, like a native speaker, in your everyday speech.

You’ll find all the resources you need for this in our free video course.

Good luck, and here’s to finally attaining your Spanish goals in 2023!

- Timothy

P.S. What if I could help you master the top 100 words and start thinking in Spanish by the end of January?

Well, make sure to watch for my email on Thursday! I’ve got a big announcement about a project I’ve been working on for the last few months.