Vents MagaZine Music and Entertainment Magazine
Related Articles
Next to Chinese, Spanish is the most widely spoken language in the world. It’s the national language for over 20 countries and there are 400 million native speakers.
There’s never been a better time to learn Spanish.
Since Spanish is a popular language that continues to expand in speakers each year, there are plenty of learning resources for it. You won’t struggle to find ways to learn Spanish.
But, you may struggle to find resources that work for you and make you fluent quickly. Here are nine ways to become a Spanish-speaker fast.
-
Use a Language App
You’re already using your phone for banking, socializing, and entertainment. Why not also use it for language learning? There are tons of effective Spanish learning apps to broaden your skills.
Some top-rated apps to learn Spanish are Duolingo, Babbel, Memrise, and HelloTalk.
These apps are great for refreshing your knowledge and testing your skills. Try to test yourself at least once a week and open one of the apps each day.
-
Enroll in a Spanish Course
For some, traditional classroom learning is the best way to absorb the language. For others, they prefer to learn from home.
Luckily, there are options for both learning preferences. You can sign up for an in-person Spanish course at the local community college or university. Or, you can sign up for an online course and do it from your computer.
You can find tons of online resources to aid in your studies. The Spanish preterite guide from Lingvist is one option, as well as the other guides on their site.
Make sure you stay on top of your course’s homework and projects. To become fluent in Spanish, you need to commit completely to your studies and get a good Spanish tutor.
-
Listen to Spanish Podcasts
When you’re not studying, use your spare time to consume Spanish media. Podcasts are an awesome way to listen to Spanish while doing other things.
You could listen while you’re commuting to work, cleaning the house, or taking a shower.
Some of the most popular Spanish podcasts for learners are Coffee Break Spanish, Notes in Spanish, and Españolistos.
-
Hire a Tutor
It can be super beneficial to have a private tutor when learning a language. You get direct answers to your questions and customized teaching for your learning style.
There are lots of ways to find Spanish tutors. Some common platforms to find tutors online are Preply, Upwork, and Indeed.
You should also check your local community boards online and in person.
Seeing your tutor once a week online or in-person can seriously improve your Spanish. It gives you a chance to practice speaking and get corrections.
-
Watch Spanish Movies and Shows
The most popular shows in Latin-America are called telenovelas. These are television dramas that focus strongly on personal relationships.
Watching telenovelas is a great way to learn conversational Spanish. And, you can pair phrases and dialogue to the characters’ exaggerated body language.
There are also many Spanish movies that any film-buff would highly recommend. You could watch them with subtitles at first but try to watch without them eventually.
Some recommendations are Pan’s Labyrinth, Amores Perros, and The Motorcycle Diaries.
-
Practice Daily
You won’t become fluent in Spanish quickly if you don’t dedicate yourself to learning it. That means taking time every single day to study in some way.
An easy way to get some independent studying in is with flashcards. Write a vocabulary word on each card as well as the English translation on the back. Each day go through your cards until you can translate each one perfectly.
Another daily practice could be journaling in Spanish.
At the end of the day, take out your notepad and write what you did that day. When your skills advance, you could practice writing what you will do tomorrow which tests your use of different tenses.
Sticking to this daily habit is easier if you do it at the same time each day. Perhaps you take 10 minutes in the morning before work to practice Spanish. Or, practice during your lunch break.
-
Find Spanish Speaking Friends
There’s nothing like conversing with Spanish-speaking people to really learn the nuances of the language. But, if you live in a mostly English-speaking city? How can you meet Spanish friends?
Look on websites like Meetup for Spanish get-togethers in your city. Try to find ones that don’t allow any English. This forces you to rely on your skills to converse.
You can also meet with other Spanish-learners to practice Spanish together. Even if you make some mistakes, practicing speaking helps build your confidence.
-
Get Immersed
Immersion is one of the best ways to learn a language. When you’re forced to use Spanish, you pick up on it out of necessity.
Of course, this isn’t the quickest option if you only get one week of vacation per year.
This tip is for those who can work remotely or have the summer off. Consider traveling to a Spanish-speaking country and living away from the resorts.
You can use websites like Work Away and WWOOF to find homestay placements with local families. Some will even teach you Spanish in return for you teaching them English.
-
Teach What You Learn
