Some good ways to learn Spanish

[Villa]

I was a Spanish bilingual teacher for 23 years teaching SSL as well as ESL. Then I taught high school Spanish for 7 years as well as working as a sub after retirement in high school Spanish classes. At night I taught ESL to Spanish speaking adults for 15 years. Right now I'm in my 4th year teching Italian to adults.

At any rate in order to learn Spanish or anyother language the most important thing you need is "ganas." That desire to learn. Take learning Spanish as a fun hobby and you'll do just fine.

Some of the best ways of learning Spanish are:

1. Read Spanish out loud. You have to go back and take a whole new look at oral outloud reading. Think about it. When you're reading Spanish outloud you're speaking Spanish and you never run out of something to say.

2. Get audio books on CD in Spanish and listen to them constantamente.
Listen them in your car, at home, while walking or riding your bike.

3. Watch Spanish TV novelas. Novelas have all the words that go with all the human emotions. I noticed that I learned more Spanish in a few weeks from watching Spanish novelas than from months and years of just trying to learn Spanish. Movies and TV programs in general are good to watch in Spanish.

4. Make flash cards with you Spanish vocabulary. Take your flash cards with you everywhere you go. Make them your constant friends with you everywhere. Take them out frequentemente and study them.

5. Carry a small bilingual Spanish dictionary with you everywhere you go and study it todo el tiempo.

6. Listen to Spanish music on the radio and on CDs. Do an internet search and print out the lyrics to the Spanish songs.

7. Take Spanish classes and or go to school in a Spanish speaking country. I went to school and lived with
a Mexican family in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico.

8. Make friends of Spanish speakers. Try to speak to everyone and anyone you can in Spanish

9. Get a Spanish speaking girlfriend or boyfriend or do like I have and marry a Spanish speaker.

[irmamar]

These ways are good for learning English, too. About the last one, I married with a half Italian man, so I'm not going to change him for an English man, of course

I see that you're bilingual (ganas, constantemente,... -but frecuentemente is spelled with "c" - )

[Villa]

Originally Posted by irmamar

These ways are good for learning English, too. About the last one, I married with a half Italian man, so I'm not going to change him for an English man, of course

I see that you're bilingual (ganas, constantemente,... -but frecuentemente is spelled with "c" - )

Gracias Irmamar. Frequentamente is the Italian spelling.
As in Cuanto and Quanto.

A proposito. Check out the Italian vs Spanish thread. Molto interessante. Muy interesante.

[irmamar]

Yes, I've seen that thread. Io parlo un po' d'italiano, ma soltanto un po'. Forse io potre practicare là

[EmpanadaRica]

Thanx for the tips/ list!!

I'm doing most of the things you mentioned though just a few per day, and different ones each day. I.e. if one day I have practised listening a lot on tv or radio/ cd, I will try to write something, or talk in Spanish with a friend the next day (or on the forums here )

I am missing the 'podcasts' in your list though? To me sofar they have been very helpful, listening to them online or downloading them onto my mp3. They make for good practise on a variety of topic imho.

Don't have a Spanish boyfriend, but who knows in future.. (I am sure that would be the best practise of all .. Of Spanish of course.. )

[irmamar]

Laura, I have some single friends, if you're interested in find one

What would be the best method? For instance you can spend one day to practice listening, another one to practice speaking, etc. Or would it be better to do the different things in (on here ) the same day? The worse is the time, as always

[chileno]

Originally Posted by EmpanadaRica

Don't have a Spanish boyfriend, but who knows in future.. (I am sure that would be the best practise of all .. Of Spanish of course.. )

That method is called learning by "contact" (either half of full)

[Villa]

Originally Posted by EmpanadaRica

Thanx for the tips/ list!!

I'm doing most of the things you mentioned though just a few per day, and different ones each day. I.e. if one day I have practised listening a lot on tv or radio/ cd, I will try to write something, or talk in Spanish with a friend the next day (or on the forums here )

I am missing the 'podcasts' in your list though? To me sofar they have been very helpful, listening to them online or downloading them onto my mp3. They make for good practise on a variety of topic imho.

Don't have a Spanish boyfriend, but who knows in future.. (I am sure that would be the best practise of all .. Of Spanish of course.. )

Hola EmpanadaRica. Mucho gusto. Don't forget the outloud oral reading of Spanish.

If you don't have a Spanish speaking boyfriend yo soy disponible.

[CrOtALiTo]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Laura, I have some single friends, if you're interested in find one

What would be the best method? For instance you can spend one day to practice listening, another one to practice speaking, etc. Or would it be better to do the different things in (on here ) the same day? The worse is the time, as always

Why do you know to try writing in Spanish all the you post daily?

I believe that it's best way.

[irmamar]

I think you meant in English Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't