This book describes an empirical study of successful language acquisition in a mature learner. The author kept a diary for two and a half years in which she recorded detailed, reflective comments as she learnt Spanish as a beginner. The diary entries were analyzed to provide a comprehensive description of the development of language acquisition. The author is a teacher of English as a Foreign Language and her approach to teaching changed considerably as a result of her findings. Although this book makes particular reference to the process of language acquisition in a single mature learner of Spanish, it provides a unique description of the process as a reference for teachers, researchers and students of other languages.