Let’s say that you are going to Mexico and you still have some time before the trip (I am sure that all people are using some kind of planning for such long trips). Here’s a reasonable question: how can one learn Spanish fast and easy? Firstly, I want to say that there’s no magic secret like “today I want to know Spanish and tomorrow I will wake up already knowing Spanish”.
I started to think about this aspect around three months before my trip. I spent those three months of actively studying a foreign language. So I can’t tell you that learning conversational Spanish was really easy. You have to work too. But I am sure that three months is nothing.
Are there any good moments? Spanish (especially its Mexican version) is considered to be a pretty easy language. Firstly, its pronunciation is very close to our native language, thus you won’t meet any French “rrrrr” (well, you know what I mean) or any other strange and unusual sounds.
Secondly, the words in Spanish are written like they are pronounced and they are read as they are written. You have to learn a couple of rules, but there are really a few exceptions. I was learning Spanish with the Synergy Spanish course (PDF & Audio Files included). My friends and I liked it more than any other course.
Below you will find 5 tips on how to learn Spanish faster and more efficient. Some of them were found in various Spanish manuals. Other tips are based on my own experience of studying this adorable language.
The first advice – don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Many people are shy or afraid of mistakes. But mistakes are an important part of the studying process. The more mistakes you make, the more information you remember. It’s better to say something wrong than just sitting silently without saying anything.
Always keep your motivation for studies of the beautiful Spanish language, even if it’s very difficult. Sometimes you will face moments (maybe even really often) when you will think that there’s no progress in your studies. You have to catch and create new motivation at such a moment. Isn’t it a miracle to understand other people and their adorable language?
My personal motivation is the understanding that I can understand them, but they don’t know my own language. It’s not a secret that for them it’s more difficult to learn English than Spanish for us. Another great motivation can be an upcoming trip to a Spanish talking country. And I recommend you to choose a country in Latin America. Such a country will give you more opportunities to meet people who speak the only Spanish language.
Find a Spanish speaking partner. This advice is more urgent for single people. They say that the best way to learn a new language is to learn it “in a bed”. You will always be happy and excited to show your progress in studies to your partner.
Start to learn easy words in Spanish, because you are not planning to work a Spanish tutor or hold business talks with your partners. Have you ever noticed that a 3 years old boy can talk in Spanish better than you? That happens, because he knows several hundreds of daily used words, which can be deftly mixed.
Listen to Spanish music. Some of us can’t go to a Spanish talking country or watch original TV channels. But you always have a chance to listen to Spanish music. Start with songs for kids, because they are the easiest to remember. If you start to translate your favorite song you will definitely not forget the meaning of its words.
Synergy Spanish by Marcus Santamaria
