In 2024, a small group of adults gathered in Gainesville, Florida, to practice Spanish conversation. Our local library became our home base. Some participants were beginners. Some had studied Spanish years earlier. Some wanted to travel. Others hoped to connect with friends, family, or their community. A few were professionals looking to better communicate with their Spanish-speaking clients.

Since then, our group has explored stories, music, travel, food, traditions, current events, and countless conversations. Along the way, I have collected ideas, activities, successes, mistakes, and surprises.

I am not a trained language teacher. I am a writer and conversation group facilitator who enjoys helping adults build confidence speaking Spanish. What began as a volunteer opportunity quickly became one of the most rewarding experiences of this stage of my life.

In this section of the blog, I share what works, what doesn’t, and what I continue to learn about creating meaningful conversations in a second language. If you lead a conversation group, teach languages, tutor learners, or simply love Spanish, I hope you will find something useful here.

Let’s keep the conversation going!