This week I got back into my routine of using Duolingo to practice my Spanish vocabulary and grammar. Educational apps on our phones are so useful and truly a blessing. I had forgotten how much of a privilege it is to have a free platform for languages (yes, any language!) at our fingertips to practice at any time in any place. In addition to this I also quizzed my girlfriend on some of the material within the units I progressed through. I find that testing someone else, or at least relaying new knowledge out loud, helps me further master the material as a learner. Maybe she might get annoyed by this practice after a while (especially if you’re trying to focus on your own homework and someone is blurting words such as “reloj” or “partido” at you) but I know she will be thankful for it in the long-run too. Another thing that I noticed myself subconsciously practicing was when I was scrolling social media. My algorithms tend to push me towards some posts, or even memes, that are in Spanish. Oftentimes there is the option to translate them but I try my best to decipher and comprehend the content before translating it to test my comprehension. In addition to this, I usually see many posts from the network of Spanish speaking friends I have in Mexico. These posts allow me to keep up to date with them and the events of their region. These things may seem trivial but they are subtle things that allow my brain to continue processing the language.