Spanish language
Spanish was the first language I learned to a conversational level, so we get this question a lot. People often want a magic bullet – what’s the one best method or technique to get the Spanish language into their heads? Here’s a secret: there is no one best way to study Spanish. There are almost as many effective ways to learn Spanish as there are people who have learned it. With that being said, there are even more ineffective ways to learn Spanish for every effective way to learn Spanish.
In this post, we’ll outline some of the most common and effective methods for studying Spanish. We can’t tell you what the “best” program is for your specific needs – only you can figure that out. Experiment with different approaches until you discover what works best for you:
1. Get into a routine
To become fluent in Spanish, decide which actions you’ll need to take each day, then actually do them. You could do a lesson with an online Spanish tutor, study a chapter from a textbook or if you’re feeling tired, chill out in front of some YouTube videos like Spanish Extra or Easy Spanish. Also, remember that you don’t need to start everything at once. Routines that are established slowly are usually the most steadfast.
2. Find your tools
If you’re going to be spending a couple of hours a day learning Spanish, you’ll need to find some fun and useful things to do during that time. Experiment with different resources like textbooks, podcasts, and YouTube channels for Spanish learners until you find things you like that help you make progress.
3. Measure your progress
Learning a language is like watching a plant grow. From day to day, the changes are almost imperceptible. But if you can step back and look at it after a few months, you’ll see that it’s grown loads. Language learning happens so gradually that it can feel like you’re not making progress, which is demotivating. One way to resolve this is to record yourself speaking every now and then so you can look back and notice how far you’ve come. This will show you that your hard work is paying off and give you extra motivation to keep going.
4. Give yourself a deadline
Your deadline will depend on how much time you can put aside to study each day. If you’re starting from scratch, you could reach this level of fluency in 1 year by studying for 2 – 3 hours per day. If you’re already at an intermediate level, you could get there in about 6 months. If this sounds intense, don’t worry – this doesn’t mean hours of “school-like” studying from grammar books. The better you get at Spanish, the more you’ll be able to fill this time with stuff you really enjoy doing, like chatting to Spanish speakers, reading books/magazines/newspapers, or watching TV and films.
So, you can master the language in a year; all you need is to give your 100% to it. We hope you’ve been able to take some inspiration from this study plan! We’ve really tried to boil the process down to the elements that will really result in your learning Spanish – not just studying it. As we said at the beginning, the best way to learn Spanish on your own will always be the simplest. Because ultimately, you’re the only one holding yourself accountable.
