Spanish Conversation Help

[wilbuchanan14]

Hola, mi nombre es Wil y soy de Georgia.

I first visited South America in August as a graduation trip, and absolutely loved it. Loved it, fell in love with the culture and wanted more of it. I hated that I wasn't able to talk to others. After returning, I began studying out of a book only, which at the time seemed completely logical, but I later found out how far I was from speaking it when I returned to South America in Colombia. I began focusing my studies on speaking and listening to the language to better comprehend it. I started studying other resources such as Accelerated Spanish by Timothy Moser, which seems to have prompted an increase in my comprehension skills. I was hoping to find any suggestions for continuing to practice my spoken skills. Thanks for the time.

[wrholt]

I made the most significant gains in speaking and listening skills while spending several weeks living with a family in Central America. I had already completed my high school's 3 year program in Spanish when I went. My aural/oral skills continued to improved over the next few years due to ongoing opportunities to use Spanish; university classes in Spanish language and literature, living with native speakers as roommates and fellow residents in my residence hall, and working for a few years at a place that provided services to foreign students including many from Spanish-speaking countries.

Spending as much time as you can participating in unscripted conversations can help a lot, particularly when at least some of the people who you are conversing with speak Spanish better than you do.

[poli]

Find a mate or a friend who is will to speak Spanish with you. If they speak no English, and need your help, this will help you as well. This may be easier said than done. Something easier to do is listen to songs, not contemporary music so much as boleros from Cuba sung by Mexican and Cuban masters like Olga Guillot or Tonia La Negra. Luis Miguel did a modern very clearly annunciated bolero album maybe fifteen years ago. Find the written lyrics, get a translation and perhaps sing along.