They say that one way to learn more about a foreign culture is by learning the language. Learning Spanish will not only bring you closer to the rich and intriguing culture of the Spaniards, learning Spanish will also help you understand the Spaniard’s behaviour and personality. Contrary to what most people believe, learning Spanish is not as difficult as it may seem.
Follow these tips and you’re on your way to speaking like a native Spanish speaker.
1. What you see is how you read it. Learning Spanish is easier than learning Chinese or Japanese. Spanish is a phonetic language. Reading and familiarising yourself with the different sounds is easy as long as you know how to read the basic alphabet.
2. To make learning Spanish fun, use flashcards. Everyday, bring 10 flashcards with you with 10 different Spanish words written on them. Familiarise yourself with the different words and concepts. In one week, you’ll have learned 70 new words. That’s plenty!
3. Learning Spanish is easier if you watch Spanish TV shows. Learning Spanish is easier when you’re watching people converse in the language. In this case, you’d also be able to familiarise yourself with the proper diction and accent.
4. They say that you can’t really learn a language through books alone. To fully learn Spanish, you will have to practice speaking it. Visit Spanish shops or cafes. Don’t be self-conscious about your minimal knowledge of the language. Try to converse with native speakers. This is perhaps the best technique when learning Spanish without having to go to Spain or other Spanish-speaking countries.
5. Listen to Spanish audio books. Don’t worry too much if you don’t seem to understand everything. Sometimes, when we’re listening to a native speaker talking, it becomes a little bit difficult to decipher every word. However, there remains a big advantage if you listen instead of reading. Listening enables you to recognise not only with the words and concepts but more importantly, how they are spoken. Accent, as we all know, is another vital element in learning Spanish.
You don’t have to be a native Spaniard to speak Spanish. Learning Spanish is as easy as a, b,c. Just follow the steps above and you’re sure to become a pro in not time at all!
¡Buena suerte!
For the easiest ways to learn Spanish click here for our Learn Spanish Resources directory.
I totally agree that the best way overall to make progress in the language is to immerse yourself at every opportunity! One great method I used was to make huge posters with grammar constructions I needed to remember. I just kept them in places I passed all the time - like on the refridgerator or above the TV and over time I remembered everything I needed to. It was like learning by osmosis!