The person behind the experiment
I’m learning Spanish in public—starting from the truth.
I’m Rudolf Adlmanninger. I’m 60, German-speaking, and a true Spanish beginner. I spend my winters on Gran Canaria, where not being able to hold even a simple conversation has become increasingly frustrating. This journal is my decision to finally change that.
Day Zero · True beginner
Why now
Gran Canaria made the gap impossible to ignore.
Every winter, Spanish is part of ordinary life around me: greeting a neighbor, ordering a meal, asking a question, or understanding what someone says without immediately switching to English. I have postponed learning for long enough. This time, I want to do the work properly and find out what a consistent five-to-eight-hour week can actually achieve.
I am also writing this site in English even though English is not my native language. That may make the occasional turn of phrase a little less polished, but it will never be used to disguise uncertainty or make my results sound better than they are.
My role
A learner, not an expert.
I am not a Spanish teacher, linguist, or language-learning researcher. I will not teach grammar, diagnose anyone else’s learning difficulties, or present my personal experience as scientific evidence.
What I can offer is careful first-hand documentation: the time I invest, the lessons I complete, what I still remember later, what I can say without a script, and what happens when I try to use Spanish in real life.
The first long-term test
Rocket Spanish, from Lesson 1.
I plan to pay for Rocket Spanish myself and work through it from the beginning. The aim is not to produce a quick “first impressions” verdict. It is to follow the course over time and test whether its lessons lead to retained, usable Spanish for an older beginner.
I submitted an application to the Rocket Languages affiliate program on August 13, 2026. The decision is pending; no affiliate links are active and I earn no commission from Rocket Languages. If approval is granted, the commercial relationship will be disclosed clearly, while the course purchase and editorial findings remain independent.
See how the checkpoints workRead the full affiliate disclosure
The bigger purpose
Useful evidence for people who do not need another fluency fantasy.
This site is for adults who want to know what a course is like after the excitement of starting has worn off. I hope my record helps you ask better questions before spending your own money—even if my eventual conclusion is that Rocket Spanish is not the right fit for me, or for you.
Questions, corrections, and relevant personal experiences are welcome at hello@spanishlonggame.com.