How to learn Spanish and not die trying
Learning Spanish at first may seem like a mission only for the brave. Between all those irregular verbs, words that look alike but have completely different meanings and native speakers who seem to be in a constant competition to see who can speak the fastest, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed.
But don’t worry!
From our Spanish language school, El Rincón del Tándem, we will give you some tips about how to learn Spanish and not die trying.
1. You can’t learn it all at the same time and you don’t need to
If your idea is to memorise the present simple and all the irregular verbs in a matter of days, say goodbye to your sanity.
Everyone has their own learning pace, but you don’t need to know everything at the beginning.
As we say here “lento pero seguro” (slowly but surely). Start with basic phrases and vocabulary. Things that you can use in your everyday life such as hola, buenos días, gracias, cerveza o ¿dónde está el baño?
Also think about those verbs that can be more practical in your everyday life and focus on them.
I’m sure you don’t use comer in the same way as procrastinar, do you? (yes, procrastinar is a regular verb, you can look it up in the dictionary if you want).
2. Speak from minute 1
You’ve probably heard that the best way to learn a language is to speak it, right?
Spanish is no different.
One of the most common mistakes when we start learning a language is to think that we should wait until we “know more and better” to speak it. This is a mistake.
What you have to do is try to speak from the very beginning. Yes, with simple phrases like hola, ¿cómo estás? or gracias. It may seem silly to you, but by doing so you will be taking away the fear that all beginners have.
Which brings us to the next tip…
3. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes or making a fool of yourself
If you wait until you know to a T pronunciation, verbs and vocabulary to formulate perfect sentences, you will probably never speak.
Making mistakes is the best way to learn. We all do it when we start studying a language (even the teacher, who is a native speaker, makes mistakes from time to time).
You are not a robot; nobody expects perfect answers. So don’t be afraid.
Remember that we all make fools of ourselves when we start learning a language and that’s great.
Besides, the funniest situations are the ones we remember the most, aren’t they? Believe me, you’re not the only one who confuses embarazada and embarrassed or says estoy caliente when they mean tengo calor.
4. Listen to Spanish (though avoid modern reggaeton, that’s for level C1 or above)
A basic for anyone learning a language is to consume products in that language.
Music, series and films can be great allies to improve listening comprehension.
And yes, you may only understand blablabla at first, but little by little you will pick up individual words and get your ear used to the language. You can start with children’s programmes such as Peppa Pig or with films or series that you have already seen hundreds of times in your native language.
Turn your Harry Potter obsession into an asset for better language learning!
5. Find your motivation and always keep it in mind
It is important to be clear about why you want to learn a language. This is what will help you to keep going when the things get tough.
Also, having a goal will make it easier for you to adapt your learning to achieve it.
6. Be consistent (but don’t torture yourself)
When learning a language, consistency is one of the key pillars. However, don’t become obsessed.
It is better to get into the habit of studying every day for 20 minutes than to try to do it for 6 hours at a time once a month.
The key is to introduce Spanish into your daily routine and make it a habit over time.
Doing it this way will prevent your poor brain from collapsing.
7. Find yourself a study companion (or a friendly native speaker)
As we have already said, one of the best ways to learn the language is to use it. Not only in class, but also outside the classroom. The ideal way to do this is to interact with native speakers (whether romantically or in a friendly way, that’s up to you).
Of course, it’s not always easy to make Spanish friends, either because we are shy, we don’t find the time or because we don’t have native speakers nearby. Luckily we will always have applications like Tandem or HelloTalk to talk to Spanish speakers.
Also, remember that you are not alone in this fantastic adventure of learning Spanish. You also have your classmates. Try to talk to them using what you learn in class.
8. Have fun!
Learning doesn’t have to be monotonous and boring. Find your own way to enjoy it.
Play games, laugh at your mistakes, sing in Spanish even if you don’t understand half of what you’re saying?
Try to introduce Spanish into your hobbies and you will start to see it as part of your everyday life.
In conclusion, learning Spanish doesn’t have to be a nightmare. With a little patience, practice and a sense of humour you can learn the language without dying trying.
And for more tips on how to make progress in learning Spanish, we invite you to read the first and second part of our post “Why am I not making progress in my Spanish course?”.
¡Until next time!
