subject: Learning Spanish Does Not Have to be Hard [print this page] Even someone who has never tried to learn a different language can learn Spanish. Speaking a language for the first time may seem difficult, but anyone who makes a serious effort can learn how. When you think about it, you can probably think of many advantages to being able to speak another language. Knowing more than one language can really help if you do any traveling. It's also very likely that people right in your own city or nearby speak Spanish, making it useful at home too. If you only speak one language and want to learn another, Spanish is a very good choice. By following some guidelines, you can shorten your learning curve when it comes to speaking Spanish.
The first thing you should focus on is the way you pronounce words in Spanish. You can say the words all you like and you can be great with grammar but if you don't know how to go from a word to the next while speaking you won't get far. Look for anything written in Spanish and practice saying the words out loud; this is a good way to improve your speech in the new language. Whenever you hear people speaking Spanish fluently, record the words in your mind and repeat what you can recall later. This will help you learn how to use the correct inflections and how to string the words together with the right intention and tone. This is actually a very enjoyable thing to practice once you get into the spirit of it. It can feel like singing! An important skill to acquire is to practice thinking in the new language. You may find this hard at first, but you can gradually learn how to transform your thoughts into a new language. Don't expect to do this perfectly right away. The idea is to take any internal dialogues you might have into the Spanish equivalent as much as possible. if you do this often, you'll find that you get much more skilled at it. You will get faster at the translation. There will come a point when this will become automatic, and you'll think in Spanish without trying. Of course, you also want to say some of these thoughts out loud, so your ability to speak improves as well.
You need a certain amount of discipline. Learning a language doesn't have to be hard, but you have to use one system or another. That is because it is easier to learn a language in easy steps that make sense. It's best to start with more basic things, like the days of the week, hours on the clock and simple phrases. If you want to speed up your progress, don't try to learn the language's grammar right away; start, rather, with vocabulary. Whatever course you decide to use, there is a reason why things are in the order they are; don't try to change this by going from one place to another. If you follow the courses as they are set out you'll have an easier time learning Spanish. Skipping around will only slow you down and make it less clear. Just keep in mind that the more you focus, the faster you'll learn. If you research the subject, you'll find that there are a wide variety of methods that can help you learn faster. Many people get help when they start learning another language. You will find that some methods will work better for you than others. Your best bet is to look around and try out as many methods as you can find. Be patient with yourself and use the tools that work best for you; sooner than you think, you'll find that you can speak, read and understand Spanish.
