It is noted that Spanish is one of the easiest languages to learn, easier than English in fact. For one thing, Spanish words are generally pronounced as spelled and there are neither short nor long vowels. Communicative grammar, although still needs to intensely touch sentence structure and verb conjugation, is manageable to learn. But though this is the case, many Spanish learners are still having difficulty with learning the language. This is natural, of course, especially considering that fact that the mode of instruction is generally in Spanish. Yet, there are some tips to make learning Spanish a lot easier and more fruitful. Here they are:
1. Train your ear with Spanish music and movies. One of the best ways to learn a foreign language is to listen to native speakers through songs, movies, and TV soaps. When you listen to a song or to an actor, focus on the pronunciation, inflection, speed, and rhythm of the language. Similarly, take good note of the sentence structure. To get the best out of this activity, play any Spanish CD or movie or tune in to a Spanish radio station for 10 to 20 minutes and practice speaking whatever you learned.
2. Have a brief but frequent study time. This is much better than having a long but infrequent time for study, a research says. In other words, thirty minutes of study scattered throughout the day works more efficiently than when you study three to four hours in one or two days every week. This is more practical in essence especially because there are a lot of free time you can squeeze study time in. While driving, for example, you can name the objects you pass by in Spanish, or construct Spanish sentences while eating.
3. Craft learning tools. There is no doubt you can learn from books and software, but there is something to be said about personalized learning materials, those that you made yourself and therefore address your needs and strengthen your weak points. For instance, you can make flash cards with Spanish words on one side and the equivalent English word on the other side. You can also make a chart of present, past, and future tenses of verbs. With the purpose of meeting your unique needs, you can make as many, not to mention creative, devices for improving your Spanish language skill.
4. Make extra effort to practice. All the knowledge accumulation is laid waste if not applied in practical situations, so practice speaking the language every chance you get. You will notice that you learn even better when you speak the language than when you just read and study it. Read aloud. Speak to other Spanish learners. Dont be afraid of committing mistakes. If the only thing that keeps you from conversing in Spanish is your fear, you certainly miss on a lot of things. Remember, speaking in Spanish is a skill, and you can never master it unless you practice and put that skill to a test. So, speak.
5. Learn actively. You cannot learn by simply browsing through books, memorizing the rules, and reading mentally. Learning Spanish requires your active involvement and commitment. Speak. Practice. Hear yourself. Track your improvement. And continuously look for ways to continue progressing.
