Active learning of Spanish worldwide – Image via Wikipedia
In these days of busy lifestyles and never having enough time to do the basics like sleep (parents, you know what I mean!), learning the Spanish language is a remarkable challenge to take on. The benefits make it worth it, I can assure you! Unfortunately, for most of us, it is just not as simple as going to a class and learning over a few years. We need and want to speak Spanish now – and we can’t get to a class on a regular basis (or enough to make it count). So we take on a home learning course that uses various techniques. So I have written a few tips for you other home learners out there to help you in your quest for fluency in the Spanish Language!
Discover Spanish Verbs Tense By Tense
Once you do resolve to discover Spanish verbs it would be a great idea to ensure that you have a sufficient grounding in basic vocabulary before you take on the somewhat more significant challenge of conquering grammar. Certainly you won’t find it difficult to find a heap of grammar related text books (I recommend a blended approach – have a look at our review page for online Spanish courses). However you choose to learn you really should spend some time focusing on basic Spanish vocabulary before going ahead full steam with the Spanish grammar. Once you feel you have gained a fair bit of confidence then you will be ready to start understanding how to prioritize who is undertaking the action, and learn the correct complement to whichever verb you are using.
It’s really not as difficult as it sounds!
It’s not the biggest challenge to learn Spanish verbs but you will definitely need to take into your memory the most basic set of rules which should then really be practised and practised. It is really only through a certain amount of repetition that you will find mastery of Spanish verbs. It will really help you as well to have a grasp over the most basic and commonly used verbs and definitely understand their meaning before seriously undertaking your verb learning project.
It is a great idea to practise verbs in one particular tense and at the same time absorb as many of the irregular verbs that are really common in Spanish. You won’t find your learning pace a complete hindrance in terms of being able to communicate but you should think in terms of what you will have absorbed within 6-12 months and avoiding frustration when you are trying to take the next step up to advanced Spanish. You can really easily discover and learn a good number of Spanish verbs and once these are memorized then they will be usefully available to you all the time!
You can also learn Spanish verbs by listening to people speak the language as much as possible. Your ears will become accustomed to comprehending the different meanings and be able to learn simple differences such as “he sat” rather than the slightly confusing “he sats”! With regular listening practise you will be able to quickly determine when a conjugation is correctly used and when it has been slaughtered! Listening is great but you will need to back it up with some regular study and practise as well.
Keeping regular studying going at whatever level you are at is a great piece of advice – studying grammar rules and conjugation will really keep adding value for you. There are so few verbs used on a regular basis that you will find focusing on the most important ones as a beginner will speed you through to fluency (have a look at our reviews page for some courses which focus exactly on this). Once you have a basic mastery of Spanish verb conjugation then you will have a really strong base to build common phrases around, which you will find yourself using on an almost continuous basis. From this base comes confidence which is where the fun in Spanish really comes!
Verbs are absolutely vital to fluency and provide the ability to express yourself – a fairly important requirement! As I mentioned before, try to learn all the core verbs in once tense – or tense by tense. There are just so many rules and variations to all the tense that you will find it difficult to absorb all at the same time. From this path comes confusion and loss of motivation! It is far more preferable to learn your Spanish verbs tense by tense – start with the present tense and just keep practising until you feel you have good control over it. It is then easier to progress to the next tense, and then even easier for the next one, and so on.
A Really Easy Method For Learning Spanish Vocabulary and Pronunciation
Most teachers of the Spanish language that I’ve spoken to agree that one of the fundamental steps in learning a new language is to master the vocabulary and especially the pronunciation. Spanish is like other European languages in that the pronunciation and form of the vocabulary make up the core of the language itself. Taking on the challenge of learning this element is one of the key steps to gaining fluency. How can this daunting task be made a little easier?
Go Get Some Vocabulary!
This is a remarkably simple tip. Get to your library, go to a bookstore, search on the internet, browse this site! Go find your reference point. Vocabulary is everywhere.
Have a look at this free site for example. Try to locate a good CD which doesn’t make you want to fall asleep – check out our recommendation on the best way to learn Spanish online. I recommend anything with interactivity because it is so much more stimulating.
Top tip – Go and grab yourself some PostIt notes and some cards (index cards work great). On each card write a word in Spanish, then on the other write an English translation. Try producing 20-30 to begin with, don’t overdo it, and pick items outside of your home – you’ll understand why in a second. You can add to this at any point you want. Then get your PostIts and go round your home and put a note on every different item you can with the correct Spanish word written on it. This technique is great for getting you to memorize the correct spellings to later learn to write in Spanish. It is kind of like fooling your brain into making connections that otherwise would just not stick.
Try it – this will get your vocubulary for home items moving quickly – a little more difficult to use for things outside of the house!!
Punch Your Pronunciation!
So you are starting to feel confident in your range of Spanish vocabulary? How about your pronunciation of Spanish words? It is obviously pretty important to focus on this at around the same time and blending your learning with visual (your PostIt notes) and audio or otherwise is a fantastic way to improve retention. Don’t ignore pronunciation otherwise you will make your life very difficult when trying to improve your speaking confidence.
This is the point where your home learning course starts really earning its money! Don’t stop at your CD or DVD. Really try to immerse yourself in the language as much as possible. Watch movies at home in Spanish, read Spanish books (if you are at that level of understanding – or try childrens books for beginners), read Spanish language news on the internet – just keep going…
I would avoid a classroom environment personally for learning vocabulary (pronunciation will of course improve with practise). Just go for maximum exposure. Try to make sure you book your next holiday somewhere that is native Spanish speaking. It seems slightly ridiculous to start labelling things in your house and watching television in a way that you will not understand a lot of it, but it will really help you in your quest to learn Spanish vocabulary and pronunciation. And this is a key step in becoming confident in speaking Spanish.
