Learn to Speak Spanish

Speaking a new language can be very fun. Maybe want to study Spanish for fun or are supposed to for work or travel. No matter what the reason, you have to study Spanish and have to figure out the best way to do that. If you are new to Spanish or a second language altogether, you might feel intimidated. It’s not as grueling as it looks and can actually be very exciting and easy if done right.

The four areas you need to focus on to speak Spanish are by reading, listening, speaking, and writing. Of course, you will need to first study, grammar and vocabulary, but more importantly, it’s the practice that you need to do the most and that will help you the most. These are the basic skills of communicating through a language. Once you get these areas down pat, you will be well on your way to fluency.

First, buy a good grammar book with many exercises and a book of vocabulary, or a mix of the two. You will also need a good dictionary and an optional phrasebook. Check your television for a local Spanish channel. Get some articles in Spanish or Spanish books, as well. You won’t be able to study a language without the necessary tools.

Next, figure out how much time you can devote to studying Spanish everyday. Even if you can only devote 10 minutes a day to a language, you can learn. It will just take a little longer. If you if you really want to learn a language, you must spend more time to get faster results. On the first day, use half of the time you will spend studying Spanish by studying a vocabulary lesson and doing some exercises. Spend the second half by reading aloud any Spanish text you have and translating it as you go. By translating Spanish you are immersing yourself in the language and learning faster and more efficiently.

On the next day, use the first 1/3 of your learning time studying vocabulary terms. Search for them in a standard textbook or have a separate Spanish vocabulary book. If you would rather choose the words yourself, you can write a list of words in English you want to study, maybe in a theme, and translate them into your target language. Choose a few words and master them. How well you learn a language will depend on how much time you devote to studying. Spend the second 1/3 of your time writing them out and trying to construct sentences with them as well as you can. As you go on, this will get easier. By building sentences, you will be using the language which is the best way to learn a language. Use it and master it. Spend the last 1/3 of your time watching Spanish speaking television or a DVD on the Spanish track. This will help you with your listening comprehension.

Rotate through this schedule. Adjust it as necessary until you know you can stick with it. For more tips and how-tos on learning languages go to the link in the resource box below. Keep learning and you will be an expert in Spanish very soon!