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Tricks That Remove The Pain from Learning Spanish
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by: robertojiminez
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Word Count: 1262
Contrary to popular belief, learning how to speak a new language does not have to take a long time. Nothing is more natural; it can actually be quite a bit of fun to master a new language! A whole new world is opened when you learn a new language. You'll have an easier time when you travel. For one thing, it can make traveling much simpler. You might even have an easier time communicating with people in your own city. Having another language also expands your employment opportunities. People who live in America are increasingly finding that Spanish is becoming the nation's second language.
If you're only fluent in your native language, learning Spanish may seem like a formidable task. It's likely that you were told to start with Spanish because it is supposed to be easy to learn. The truth is that most languages are easy to learn, you just have to figure out what kind of learning tricks you want to use to make the process simpler. You'll find there are many helpful suggestions that will make it easier to learn Spanish. You can give these tricks a try:
If possible, hire a tutor. CDs/books can be very helpful. But with a tutor at your side, you can receive help and answers you just can't get from a book or CD. Of course, it's necessary for a language tutor to have fluency in the language they are teaching. Any good tutor will be knowledgable of the different dialects in the language.
It's much easier to learn from a CD course. If you're feeling shy about learning a new language, CDs are great to use. You will be able to listen to someone pronounce the words and use them in sentences. You'll find the CD courses are equal in quality as a classroom, yet there's no stress about making mistakes in front of everyone. Another good reason to invest in a good CD course for learning Spanish is that you can take the courses with you! You can download them to your favorite mp3 player, or simply use a portable CD player and learn while you are on the go! You are not limited to one central location for your learning.
Whenever you can, start to think in Spanish rather than your native language. You have to use an internal translation process, where you take your thoughts from one language and put them into the new one. You will have to practice this, so don't be in a hurry. Periodically throughout your day ask yourself how you would say the words you are thinking in Spanish. Like any skill, you can become better at it the more you try it. You will be surprised at how fast you will be able to do this translation process once you practice it for a while. You will know you have mastered this when you find that you sometimes think in the new language when you aren't even intending. Of course, you also want to say some of these thoughts out loud, so your ability to speak improves as well.
Place some kind of note or label on various items, with the Spanish word for it. If possible, use this technique on the things around your house and even at your job. This way you will get used to associating the correct words with the correct items. If you start to form a good vocabulary in the new language, you'll reduce the risk of making socially awkward errors. Beginners often unwittingly say things that are unintentionally funny or even offensive to native speakers. The reason this method of tagging works is that your mind immediately begins to think using the new language rather than your native one whenever you look at the labeled items.
Signup for a course. Many people are afraid to learn Spanish through a course with other students. It's common to have to speak the language outloud in front of the whole class. This intimidates many people.
Even if stumbling through the new language out loud makes you uncomfortable, it's still a good idea. That's the best way to learn because everyone else is learning, too! Everyone can all join in the mistake making! And that is a lot better than talking to a local, making some insulting mistake, and not being forgiven.
Always try to improve your 'ear' for language. Many languages are more oral than they are written. Good listening skills are still very important if the language is still a living language. Memorizing the alphabet, or writing a proper sentence, only takes you so far. Naturally, you'll want to be able to understand other people when they speak to you. The best results will come from listening to the language whenever possible. You will know you're on the right track when you can identify your language after hearing a few spoken words.
Test yourself with flashcards This may seem very simple, but it works well. Simply remembering what words mean is really what a large part of a language comes down to, and this method helps you do that. With flashcards you can quiz yourself on vocabulary and grammar and tenses. Carry flashcards with you to work, if you take a train, bus or plane or wherever you go. You can also have someone quiz you. Simply use one side for Spanish and the other for your original language.
Keep in mind that perfection comes from practice. Even if you feel shy you practice speaking as much as possible. Even if you aren't great at putting together whole sentences, using the words you know in place of your native language regularly will help commit those words to memory. So if your new language is Spanish, then just try to use "cena" instead of "dinner" and in place of "one" use "uno." In time, the words will become natural for you. You'll be able to recognize the spoken words when you hear them. This technique will really help you understand your new language when you talk to others who are fluent in it.Watch movies and television shows that are in Spanish. There are a lot of shows broadcast in Spanish now and every movie rental house will have a section of movies in other languages. Watching these shows and movies can help you learn to understand Spanish the way it is actually spoken without having to spend money to travel somewhere. This is helpful if you live somewhere that does not have a large Spanish speaking population to converse with. To begin, you can watch with subtitles. Then, as you learn to identify parts of speech and words, you can turn off the subtitles and see how much you understand. Your learning will go much faster by using this method.
There are lots of reasons to learn another language but figuring out the best way to learn that language can be tough.
You might be tempted to just head to the bookstore and pick up the latest book on whatever language you are trying to learn. You can check out classes, or even start meeting people who are fluent in the language. You'll find many available options for learning Spanish, or any other language. Make sure you enjoy it!
Learning Spanish, or any new language, does not have to be a terrible experience. You might have a rough time of it in the beginning, especially if you are not used to learning languages, but over time you will get better. Just keep working at it and trying new tips and tricks to help yourself and before long you'll be fluent!
About the Author
While this information can be very helpful, you can learn simple ways to teach yourself Spanish by visiting http://teachyourselfspanishsite.com.
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