Where can I learn to speak Spanish outside of school?

Spanish is one of the United Nation’s six official languages, and it is also used as an official language by the European Union, the Organization of American States, the Union of South American Nations, the Community of Latin American and the Caribbean States, the African Union, and a number of other international organisations. As a Romance language, Spanish is a descendent of Latin and, together with Sardinian and Italian, has one of the smallest degrees of divergence from it (approximately 20%). Around 75% of current Spanish vocabulary comes from Latin, including borrowings from Ancient Greek.

Because students are rarely given enough attention in the classroom to develop their spoken language skills, the system is rarely effective. Despite the fact that speaking and listening skills are probably the most important of the four, reading and writing skills are heavily emphasised in school exams! Furthermore, because the emphasis is solely on learning grammar rules, you cannot learn to speak Spanish in school. So, if you want to improve your spoken Spanish, look beyond the classroom.

Let’s take a look at how you can learn Spanish outside of the classroom!

Take Spanish lessons one-on-one at a nearby language school. While these can be costly, I found them to be the most effective way to learn the basics of Spanish because you have a dedicated teacher.

Use free language learning apps include Duolingo, Babbel, Memrise, Anki, Awabe, Multibhashi, and others. These apps are extremely useful because you can study from them and use them whenever you want. The apps also keep you engaged in the subject by presenting you with fun quizzes.

To practise, read comic/storybooks or magazines, books, articles that interest you aloud in front of a mirror while holding your pet or a plant. Play video games, listen to podcasts, Spotify playlists, audiobooks, and so on to learn it in a fun way. It is not only a fun way to learn, but it also teaches you about their culture.

Find conversation partners for yourself through online language exchange programmes such as qt italki, Hello Learner, Tandem, and others; they will keep you motivated by challenging you every day, even if you are not motivated.

While watching a Spanish film with English subtitles, use the shadowing technique and speak the dialogues alongside the Spanish speakers.

Choosing to immerse yourself!

You could also visit USA, Mexico, Spain or another Spanish speaking country! Once you have a basic understanding of a language, this is highly recommended. You might feel out of place at first, but it’s a great way to quickly improve your Spanish.

Take part in exchange programmes. Find a third-party company that can help you find a Spanish host family to stay with during the holidays.

Explore experimenting with a variety of YouTube channels.

Spanish is a member of the Indo-European language family’s Ibero-Romance group, which emerged from various dialects of Vulgar Latin in Iberia following the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century. Along with English and French, it is one of the most widely taught foreign languages in the world. Despite having a high number of speakers, Spanish is underrepresented in scientific writing and technology, while it is more prevalent in the humanities and social sciences. Furthermore, behind English and Russian, Spanish is the third most often used language on internet pages.

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