How to learn Spanish yourself in 18 Easy Steps
When someone says, " Wow! Your Spanish is amazing! How did you learn that?"I always say," I taught myself.”
Of course, I've made sure I have Spanish natives to speak by selecting my brain via grammar, vocabulary and local expressions whenever I could, and a few other support measures in language learning.
But in fact, I learned Spanish myself.
What were my tricks? How did I do that?
There is no way out of the fact that it took a lot of time and a lot of personal dedication. Anyone who says that you can learn a language in just a few months is lying.
You can move around the Spanish-speaking city during the holidays after a quick emergency class, but this is not enough to have a smooth conversation, go for an interview, or even sing to the music without stumbling over words.
The key is to fall into deep water.
I decided to move abroad and get a job while teaching English at a small Institute in Venezuela. Too many speak English quite well in Caracas, so I made sure my position was completely isolated from any English Help, high in the mountains.
I remember that in the first six months I cried a lot, sometimes even for fear of simple actions, such as buying a loaf of bread.
"What will the baker tell me?”
"What if he tries to start a conversation like last time?”
"How can I just go to the store, ask for bread, return the money and disappear from there?”
It was a stressful time when there was no one around me who could speak my language, but I knew this was the only way to really speak Spanish fluently.
So, my seven—year do-it-yourself program really worked-and that - in 18 Easy Steps - so I did it.
What is the best way to learn Spanish?
Since I'm going to share my tips on how to learn Spanish on your own, you might be wondering if a self-taught program is the best way to learn a language.
There is no unequivocal answer to this. The training was simply the method I used.
There are many ways to learn Spanish and the reality is that there is no single method that is better than the other. It's about finding what works for you, what suits your goals and what you need to do to achieve them.
But whether you're going the DIY route like I did or choosing something a little more organized than a course, there are a few things you need to support on your Spanish learning journey. And these two things are immersion and consistency.
When you learn Spanish, you accept a lifestyle change, which means you have to surround yourself with all things Spanish. As if all five senses would be saturated with speech, which can be done by moving to a Spanish-speaking country or following the steps that I described below.
Consistency is also a big factor. Whether you study alone or in a class, nothing will stick around in the long run if you don't exercise regularly. Doing a little every day is much more effective than doing a very long overview session every weekend.
learn Spanish, whatever you decide in terms of learning methods, remember that the name of the game is consistency and immersion. When I struggle with one of these two areas, I always turn to fluency for help.
With features like real Spanish content and progress tracking, FluentU has allowed me to explore the world with your Spanish on the phone while helping me keep track of my daily learning goals-but I'll tell you a little more about how it worked for me later!
1. Spend an hour a day with grammar exercises from the textbook
Spanish for three months book and CD (Hugo) I found a really simple grammar tutorial and a CD for beginners entitled " Hugo Spanish for 3 months."It is full of brief explanations and exercises. All the answers can be found on the back of the book and were an excellent source for learning the basics: past, present and Future Tense; prepositions; popular phrase designs and explanations related to plural and gender.
At the end of each day, I dedicate an hour to practice. When I came across an episode that bothered me, I went back to repeat the exercises until the grammar began to collapse.
It is also worth noting that in the third year of life in Latin America I returned to this grammar book for reference. At that time I was really quite fluent, but small grammatical doubts appeared here and there in conversations with friends.
All the while, I carried a notebook with me, made notes for myself, and looked through them at Hugo's later in the day. Actually, I still carry a notebook with me!
2. Read, emphasize, search for new words and read again
Reading at home was undoubtedly one of the most rewarding activities I took time too soon. I read everything I had in my hands, but I liked reading the novels of Paulo Coelho, which were translated from Portuguese into Spanish.
Why choose a Portuguese writer? Writing Coelho is so easy that it is perfect for beginners. His sentences are short and easy to understand. His vocabulary is also quite simple. For me, he was the perfect choice.
We did not have a TV or internet in our apartment in Venezuela, and after experiencing this I strongly recommend getting rid of other distractions by learning the language. I've been reading every night and on weekends for about eight months.
Most of the Sunday I read from the moment I got up and went to bed. Nobody does anything in the mountains on Sundays, except worship, and this is really not for me.
So I read and read and read and read.
I read the chapter, emphasizing everything that I do not understand. Then I looked at the words in my paperback, wrote down the translations and reread the chapter. I learned so many new words and phrases, and this is exactly what prepared me to combine sentences.
3. Watch movies and TV shows with subtitles
I used two tv methods.
The first thing for beginners: watch Spanish movies with English subtitles.
The second for advanced learners: watch Spanish movies with Spanish subtitles.
It may seem strange to look in Spanish and read in Spanish at the same time, but it really works wonders. Reading skills develop much faster than listening skills. By reading and listening at the same time, I was able to really improve my pronunciation.
It also helped me speak like a local. After a year in Venezuela, I moved to Argentina, where I lived for five years. Spanish in Venezuela is very different from Spanish in Argentina. Watching Argentine movies and searching for typical Argentine phrases has helped me connect more and make friends.
One of my favorite Argentine movies of the 80s. it's " made in Argentina."I love hearing the Argentine accents in this video and watching them drink mate with their PH.
How to learn Spanish yourself? so you can use Fluent to learn Spanish with a video with subtitles.
FluentU records authentic films - such as music videos, movie trailers, news and inspirational conversations-and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.
4. Listen to the radio in Spanish
learn Spanish
Listening to the radio in Spanish is something that you will find pleasant in about two years. This turned out to be impossible at first, but I recommend sticking with it. Understanding that someone speaks a foreign language without seeing their mouth can be difficult.
I could listen to the radio on my cell phone for an hour and a half every day while commuting to work and from Buenos Aires.
It was a great way to travel faster, it gave me a lot of things to talk about with my Argentine friends and also attracted me to amazing Spanish-speaking musicians. In particular, Andres Calamaro, Vicentico, Joaquin Sabina, Anita Tijou, Calle 13 and Gustavo Cordera.
At home, I always leave the radio in the background, and even after seven years in Latin America, I still hear phrases that I do not understand. I'll write them down and check them later. The learning process with the radio never really ends.
5. Travel to Spanish-speaking countries
Travel, Travel and travel on. I spent about seven years traveling to Spanish-speaking countries before moving to Venezuela, and it gave me a lot of confidence. I better share it with the locals and learn in context what they are trying to tell me. It's always been a real hype, and it made me want to improve my language skills.
In addition, it is important to travel to different countries to listen to different accents and different types of Spanish.
Before traveling to Venezuela, I have already visited Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize and Spain. Since I live in Latin America, I have time to travel to Colombia, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia and Mexico.
The more you listen to Spanish, the easier it is for you to understand it in any context.
6. More restaurants in Hispanic settings
If you can't travel abroad, go to places in your hometown where Hispanic people spend time. Before I left London, I went to many salsa clubs and I remember having a good time.
I also ate in Spanish restaurants, drank in Spanish cocktail bars, and even joined a Spanish conversation group at some point. It was a group organized by local Spaniards to bridge the cultural divide between Londoners and foreigners living far from home.
This particular group no longer exists-I checked it-but there must be many others.
Another good strategy is to make your home a point of learning Spanish! To learn Spanish, one of the best strategies is to transform the environment into a place that promotes the learning and study of the Spanish language. And the best? This can be achieved regardless of whether you live in a Spanish-speaking country or not!
For some hot tips on how to get an exciting environment, check out the video below. The video is taken from the Spanish YouTube channel FluentU, which provides important information on learning the Spanish language from native speakers. If you want to learn Spanish yourself, subscribe to our channel!
7. Volunteer in a long-term project in a Spanish-speaking country
When I first visited Argentina, I signed up with South American Explorers, an NGO that raises money for local charities and projects. I have been a volunteer for about eight months and have especially had support for Fundaci Aubbin Ph15, a volunteer Photography Organization for children at Villa 15 in Buenos Aires.
The time I spent with these children as a volunteer opened my eyes and ears to new expressions and a natural vocabulary that I could not otherwise access.
8. Keep a Spanish blog
learn Spanish
The idea of a Spanish blog is something that I have only been considering for a few months, but I think it is something that everyone can do, even if they are beginners in Spanish.
The idea is to create a free basic blog (bloggers and WordPress have good platforms for this) and first add an editing note explaining that they have created this blog to help you improve your Spanish writing skills and document your progress.
Then you should commit to writing a post one week or every two weeks, but - and here's the key-make sure you write it in English first and then translate it into Spanish before publishing.
If you write each post in English, you will not be limited to the Spanish dictionary that you already know. You will use the freedom of the native language and then you will have the difficult task of converting your post into Spanish.
I have no doubt that this exercise will help expand your vocabulary, test grammar skills and strengthen confidence when it comes to writing in Spanish.
9. Take Spanish courses online
A very effective way to learn Spanish on your own is to take Online Spanish courses. Let's face it; we're on the go almost all the time with our laptops, tablets, and phones —that means all online courses are at your service anytime, anywhere.
What is not to love here?
Remember that you will probably spend time on the program you are interested in. For me, I enjoyed a Spanish Coffee Break and Fluencia every now and then. Both incorporate Spanish culture into their classes, which really helps spice things up - at least for me!
How can I learn Spanish myself? the Spanish Coffee Break has several options for Spanish courses. Their Coffee Break Academy offers courses for beginners to advanced students. There is even a master's course that will help you achieve full liquidity.
Coffee Break Spanish reading club is a fantastic way to build vocabulary. The aim of the course is to use weekly texts to present cultural ideas in building reading skills.
how to learn Spanish on your own "luencia" is another great course for Spanish learners that is worth considering. This site is full of cultural information, so if you want to learn more than just the mechanics of the Spanish language, this course is for you.
Classes use native language and are divided into subjects that create an organized, effective method of learning. Lessons include Conversation-perfect for practicing pronunciation!- as well as vocabulary and cultural segments.
10. Learn spoken Spanish with a partner
Many of us study really well. The language partner will help you challenge and make your language learning journey less lonely and more social! I was lucky to be surrounded by wonderful native Spanish speakers on my language trip, but if this is not your reality, the next best way is to look for a language partner.
If you are not currently living in a Spanish-speaking country abroad, you can find a partner through a site like sharing conversations. Language students upload personal profiles with a list of gender, age, place of residence, native language, language practices, hobbies and collaborative goals. Most express a desire to practice the language with someone more fluent, in the hope that both partners will acquire language skills.
It's a great way to talk to someone in Spanish-and maybe even make friends for life!
Having a language exchange partner will surely help you pronounce phrases, quirky idioms and learn more about Spanish culture. It's amazing how quickly you'll progress once you start spending time with a language exchange partner. It will be difficult for you to feel at work if you like the language learning process.
If you are in an area with a Hispanic population, you should consider a location for a language partner. Join a local club-maybe dancing, cooking, or even a book club!- speak face-to-face in Spanish, not digitally.
11. Find a Spanish tutor to help you
Sometimes, when learning on your own, it is not uncommon to get to a plateau. Then you might think about outside help. Getting a Spanish tutor to help you is the perfect way to boost your progress in language learning again, especially if you are not exposed to Spanish regularly, as I did when I was studying.
Depending on where you live, access to native Spanish may be limited, even at short notice. Fortunately, there are many digital tutors.
12. Download Spanish apps to help you build your vocabulary
I am a big fan of Spanish apps because they are really workhorses for creating vocabulary. In addition, they are mobile and comfortable and offer small training bites when you have free time.
how to learn Spanish by yourself flingq is a sensational app to try. It offers many features, including the ability to keep track of how many words you have learned, a playlist to mix content, goals so you know what you are working on, and much more. There's a lot of audio content to download, so if you're somewhere without internet access, you can still learn Spanish.
In addition, you will have a vocabulary overview with Spaced Repetition System or SRS, which means that the words you have learned will appear in class. In this way, these words will remain in your head and you will not forget them. As the vocabulary increases, SRS corrects this by offering different words for reinforcement.
chinese listening practiceReword is also a nice app if you're a fan of cards-and I personally. There is something old about the cards, but they are kept as a reliable learning tool because they work.
The Reword app allows users to create word lists, track progress and much more. With more than 4500 words and phrases on offer, this app will keep most of us busy for a long time.
13. Try Spanish educational games
Spanish educational games are the perfect addition to any language application. Who doesn't like to play? I know, yes! And although they compete with each other, if you use this option, it's still a lot of fun, which leads to stress-free language learning!
how to learn Spanish yourself drops will add a level of entertainment to your curriculum. It is a visual method, which involves using short illustrations to show the meaning of words and phrases. You will see what the words mean instead of reading the translation.
It is a practical method of learning and practice that can be done in five minutes. It's nice to see how far you can go in this time period! See what I meant by friendly rivalry with each other?
how to learn Spanish yourself digital dialects is the place where you will find games for learning Spanish. There are many to choose from-and they cover the most important topics that students need to know. Numbers, colors, nouns, basic phrases, food and much more can be captured here.
The games vary by topic, but they are all valuable and interesting. There are additional game options in each theme, so if you have completed the first suggested games, you have the chance to play harder games. It's a seamless way to transition from basic Spanish to advanced learning materials.
I spent more time playing games in digital dialects than I wanted to admit! It's so much fun with the added benefit of improving Spanish language skills. Sometimes one of the best things you can do when you learn a language yourself is to let it play, and this site encourages you to do it!
14. Singing Spanish songs
I like looking for ways to learn Spanish without feeling like I'm really learning.
Probably one of the easiest ways to learn Spanish is to listen to Spanish songs over and over again until the words get stuck in your head. With music, you will improve your pronunciation and accent, as well as learn new expressions, slang and grammatical structures. The texts are also adapted to the masses, so the language is accessible and used in reality.
Of course, there will be songs among which it is almost impossible to sing, even if you have heard them thousands of times. Daddy Yankees songs were especially hard for me, although it sometimes includes English in its songs. Spanish rap was not my jam.
Bands like male Bisexual and singers like Juanes were more like my cup of tea. They never sang too fast and were clear in their pronunciation, so it was easy for me to learn the text. In addition, their songs are very catchy!
15. Learn Spanish with food and recipes
Food has always been a good introduction to new cultures. Eating national dishes, you will get acquainted with the history, social customs and the language itself. You also have to deal with different emotions to make Spanish more memorable.
It was also a good excuse to try new restaurants in my neighborhood, but it wasn't the only way I learned through food.
I like to cook. I also read cookbooks in my spare time, so it made more sense for me to learn Spanish because of my love of food. At first I worked with dishes that I did before, only they were in Spanish, and not in English. I thought it would be best to start with the usual daily recipes - if I stumble upon a vocabulary, I can guess it from my experience.
Having become quite comfortable with the kitchen and the jargon of cooking, I switched to completely new recipes. Soon after, I felt brave enough to buy "Cocina en casa con Martactubnin Berasategui: 1100 recetas B exporsicas" (cooking at home with Martactubnim Berasategui: 1100 basic laws) and" de Tapas con Quique Dacosta " (Tapas Quique Dacosta).
Overall, cookbooks are very affordable for beginners, because the instructions are in the infinitive, so choose the book you are interested in. I just found these useful because recipes require less than 10 ingredients and have very few instructions.
If cooking isn't your forte, don't worry. You can still do translation exercises with recipes by writing Spanish recipes into English or vice versa. Learning all these new culinary dictionaries and names of dishes also makes it easier to order dishes in Spanish or Latin restaurants.
16. Speak Spanish yourself
If you don't move to a Spanish-speaking country, you don't always have many opportunities to talk to others in Spanish. You need all the practice you can get, so if you can't talk to someone, you can (and should) talk to yourself.
And that's why we talk to each other from time to time. I don't remember how many times I left the house wondering if I turned off the curling iron and closed the front door. If you are like me, you can also do the same in Spanish.
Since I like to cook, I sometimes talked about what I did in the kitchen, how I gave a tutorial. I took notes when I didn't know the Spanish word for ingredient or kitchen utensils. If I had a busy day ahead of me, I would go through my schedule aloud while I was preparing.
I'm not saying you should have full conversations with each other in public — it's just silly. But the next time you need or need to express your thoughts, try saying them in Spanish. And if you come across any words or translations, you should check them and check them later.
And if what I have done is too advanced for you, you can do another thing to talk to yourself in the mirror to increase confidence in future conversations with native speakers.
17. Translate as often as possible
Learning Spanish does not just mean understanding and communicating with native speakers. You need to be able to think even in the language, which means that you translate into your head all the chances you have.
When I am surrounded by Spanish street signs and locals, my brain automatically tries to decipher everything I see and hear in English. And this is exactly what you need to work.
But if you can't be in a Spanish-speaking environment, try translating everything you read into Spanish, be it a social media post or a restaurant menu. Once you have established this habit, your mind will want to translate everything you see into Spanish.
You don't have to record these translations every time, although they are totally welcome! This trick is mainly to encourage you to think in Spanish during the day, rather than limiting learning to specific hours of study.
I did it first out of habit, because there was so much new information to process. Every time I was absent and saw new signs and instructions, I wrote the translation on my phone.
When I had a little more time to spare, I took a look at Twitter and wrote what the tweets would look like in Spanish. I also want to check out the latest posts from @Thespanishmemes and the word of the day at @SpanishDict.
18. Change the language of your phone to Spanish
I know it sounds a little scary, especially if you are a beginner. But if the goal is to integrate Spanish into your daily life, doesn't it make sense to make this change on your phone?
I trust my phone for almost everything, so I didn't use it to its full extent to reduce screen time. I immersed myself in digital mode by changing the phone to Spanish.
The gear was a problem at first, but it didn't take too long to set up. I remembered where the different settings were, so I learned the smartphone-related vocabulary through association.
After configuring the switch, the next step is to change the language settings on other devices.
If you are new to Spanish, there will certainly be a fight. I've been waiting to master Spanish better, but if you know where everything is on your phone, just try it. You can always change the settings to English if you think this is too difficult for you.
18 Easy Steps to learn Spanish yourself.
Follow these steps and there will come a day when someone will praise your Spanish and ask how you learned this language so well.
And then you can proudly answer: "I learned it myself!”
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