There is no magic formula for
learning how to speak Spanish - it
requires time, energy, and patience.
There are, however, some techniques
which will make your language study
more efficient and thus help you to
learn Spanish more quickly.
The two main aspects to language
study are learning and practicing,
and they go hand in hand. Memorizing
vocabulary words won't do you any
good if you are unable to use them,
so you have to supplement your
studies with practice. The following
tips on learning Spanish include
plenty of practice ideas - if you
really want to learn how to speak
Spanish, do as many of the following
as possible.
Spanish Classes
One of the most efficient ways to
learn how to speak Spanish is to
take a class. If you don't want to
attend a language school, there are
almost certainly some reasonably-
priced Spanish classes available at
your local community college or adult
education center.
If at all possible, spend some time
in a Spanish-speaking country - that
is the absolute best way to learn
Spanish.
Online Spanish Lessons
Work on the basic vocabulary,
pronunciation, grammar, and verb
lessons in my Spanish course
section. You can choose between
studying with the checklist (for a
logical study order) or by topic.
Take a look at Spanish in English
and True Cognates to see what you
already know.
Study the differences between
Spanish and English to see what you
need to concentrate on.
Listen to Spanish
Listen to spoken Spanish every day.
The more you listen, the easier it
will be for you to acquire that
lovely Spanish accent.
Invest in some audio resources.
Listen to Spanish radio and watch
television - even though it will be
difficult to understand, it will
help you get used to the rhythms of
Spanish speech.
Listen to Spanish music - you may
not understand all the words, but
your subconscious will be working
away. Watch Spanish movies. While
reading the English subtitles,
your mind will unconsciously work
on decoding the Spanish (well,
that's what my high school teacher
told me anyway). ;-)
Read Spanish
Read Spanish newspapers and magazines.
For each article, make a list of the
words you don't know, look them all
up after you finish the article, and
then read it again while referring to
the list.
But to get you started there are some
quick phrases to learn
