by Lynn Halladay

If you’re looking for a few simple ways to make learning Spanish a lot easier, these tips will help you. Of course, you’ll need to have a good Spanish class, text, or online learning program to make full use of them. However, they can do a lot to speed up your ability to master the Spanish language.

Subtitles

Watch English-language movies with the Spanish subtitles on. You’ll slowly absorb the Spanish words and their meaning while watching your favorite films! This is an inexpensive and fun multi-media technique.

Kids’ Books

You can pick up a lot of the basics of a new language by reading children’s books. In fact, you can read more advanced material as well if you are already familiar with the book – try picking up Spanish translations of books you have read- when you know the book, you’ll have an easy time learning the Spanish words and phrases.

TV

Spanish and Latin American television and radio shows can be invaluable, too. One of the best choices is the type of show referred to as a novela – these are like American soap operas, and allow you to hear the language spoken with clarity and good diction.

Comic Strips

Spanish language comic strips online and in newspapers make a great source, too. They expose you to idioms you might not see in a textbook, and they’re relatively easy to understand.

3×5 Cards

These are flash cards, but not the usual pre-packaged type. Instead, carry these cards and write down new words that you encounter throughout the day. Find out what they mean and add them to your existing flash cards or other learning methods. This is also great for phrases you run into frequently.

Remember High School?

A lot of us took some Spanish in high school or college or perhaps a related Romance language such as French or Italian. These provide you with a good basis to build on, since you’ll have learned a bit about grammar and verb conjugation. If you know some Italian or French you will already have something of a handle on word order within sentences, but keep in mind that pronunciation will be significantly different.

Talk With Native Speakers

If you live in an area with a large Spanish speaking population (for instance, Texas, California, Florida or larger cities like Chicago and New York), you’ll have an easy time meeting native speakers to practice your skills with. However, even if you don’t have a lot of native speakers to converse with in your area, get in contact with a Spanish club or students from a Spanish class.

Practice Every Day

Practice makes perfect, but it’s far more effective if you practice daily. The more often you work on your Spanish, the better chance you have of learning it quickly and easily. You don’t have to get stuck in the same daily “learning” routine either – mix it up to keep it interesting!

Using these tips will make learning Spanish fun and easy. You should use these tips in conjunction with a self study course or classroom instruction which has a track record of success and mixes up teaching techniques to keep you interested. A lot of people give up on learning Spanish because of a dull instructional routine. Choose fun, interactive instruction which can keep you interested and you’ll master Spanish in no time.

Have fun and let us know if you have any questions!

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