I took my kids on vacation to practice their Spanish. Our no-English rule didn't last long.

The author wanted her family to speak only Spanish during a vacation in Puerto Rico in order to practice their language skills. The family, consisting of the author and her two children aged 9 and 11, had been attending a Spanish immersion school in the US since preschool. Upon arriving in Puerto Rico and checking into their hotel, the author realized that speaking no English would be challenging, as the driver, front desk staff, restaurant waiters, and other staff were all bilingual.

Despite the author's best efforts, her no-English rule did not last long. Her husband, who does not speak Spanish, often defaulted to English with Duolingo as his only teacher, and the family ended up communicating in a mix of English and Spanish. The author herself, who grew up speaking Spanish, found it harder to enforce the rule than she had anticipated.

The experiences in Puerto Rico, where the Spanish language varied across regions, opened the author's eyes to the differences in dialects and vocabulary. She realized that language learning is an ongoing process that involves adapting to new experiences and asking questions. The author realized that fluency is not the same as knowing every word, and learning continues beyond the classroom.