Phil Rylett began learning Spanish at the same time he started teaching English as a Second Language in California.
It meant that he could empathize with his ESL students, for he was going through exactly the same painful confusion.
In Rylett’s opinion, learning a second language is harder than it needs to be, and part of his goal, now living in Ajijic, is to persuade the retired expat community that it is possible to reach satisfactory levels of communication.
Rylett was born and raised in a small, coal-mining village in England, a place where kids played in the streets and neighbors chatted under the streetlights; a place where daily courtesies were the norm.
For him to once again be part of something like this in Ajijic has been a great motivator. He remembers the strangers who settled in his English village were polite and sociable, but remained outsiders for several generations before being accepted into the fabric of village life. He is under no illusion that the situation is any different in Ajijic.
At some point, Rylett became disappointed with the results of traditional language learning and with the standard formula: Study x Memorization x Practice x Translation = Success.
This formula is the supposed key to learning a language, yet was not producing results for him. His frustration, coupled with the mental grind of rule memorization, nearly halted his Spanish learning.
In 2011, Rylett attended the one-week, Intensive Spanish Summer Institute at Lake Tahoe Community College and took “The Difficult Trip.” Instead of a class, students experienced a simulation of a journey from the United States to Patzcuaro to participate in the Day of the Dead celebration. They were given passports and other travel documents, along with a list of places they had to go to in order to complete the journey (immigration, bank, restaurant, pharmacy, etc.) Each of these places were manned by teachers who placed many obstacles in one’s way – obstacles they knew one could overcome, but only by adapting the Spanish one knew and by reaching for language outside one’s comfort zone, but definitely within one’s grasp. Using Spanish as the key element to achieve a specific task seemed revolutionary to Rylett. He began studying similar methods, as well as researching this new learning methodology.
Moving to Ajijic in 2013, Rylett found the village to be the perfect classroom for a different type of learning and he started preaching this new method: Attention x Use x Passion = Success.
He has given talks on this method to expats at Lakeside. Since the traditional method has been used for so long, and habits are often difficult to break, some remain to be convinced. Rylett’s advice to them is to embrace the confusion of trying to communicate.
Instead of learning the language to use it, Rylett uses the language to learn it, and his interaction with Mexicans increases with every attempt to communicate. He once showed up at the Pasion de Cristo Passion Play rehearsals, asking how he could help. Before long, he became an expert in making Roman columns for the scenery out of cardboard, styrofoam and new
spaper. The following year, he was the play’s master of ceremonies. He is now approached to participate in processions and parades, once playing an archetypal American on a hijos ausentes (absent sons) float. His high point was taking the part of Pope Juan Paul II in the Virgin of Guadalupe parade.
Rylett feels that his Mexican experience is very different than it would have been had he not been able to communicate with the locals. “It can difficult to see the true Mexican culture, as it can be hidden in plain sight. Observing it is great; participating in it is fantastic.”
He remains passionate about encouraging expats to learn and participate, and has plans to make the experiential type of language learning (Difficult Trip) available in English for Mexicans and Spanish for expats. As an ESL teacher, he feels that his greatest contribution is to energize the learner, turn learning into fun and to make it an adventure.
Each week at the Lake Chapala Society, Rylett runs a Spanish/English conversation group, where they spend half an hour discussing a subject in Spanish and then half an hour in English. Translation is not allowed. Learning how to communicate without this crutch is key, he insists.
Living in Ajijic, Rylett is warmly welcomed into the homes of Mexicans, to their parties and family events. He even coaches a Mexican soccer team. But he reckons he will not live long enough to be fully embraced – and that is just fine with him. He is content that he can participate as far as he is permitted – all possible because of his acquisition of Spanish.
For more information contact Rylett at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">.