Learning Spanish on your own can be a rewarding and fun activity. The satisfaction of accomplishing a goal and the ability to communicate with more people all around the world. It's a great addition to your résumé if you know other languages as well. In addition, learning Spanish can come in handy when traveling to Spanish-speaking countries.
Here are the 6 Simple Ways to Learn Spanish by Yourself:
Jump to:
1. Create a goal and time to study.
You must have a goal before beginning any project. It's no different when it comes to learning Spanish.
Researchers from the University of Nebraska did a study for linguistics; the combination of perseverance and goal setting is highly beneficial to language learners.
The key to defining goals is to be as specific as possible. You may, for example, establish a target of learning 500 vocabulary terms in 2 months. You might also set a 30-day goal to hold a basic conversation.
You have to be determined to learn Spanish once you've set a goal. It entails setting yourself a schedule to study.
An hour a day may work for you, or you may find that an hour every day does not apply to you to fit into your day; split it into two 30-minute sessions.
2. Back to basics: Grammar and vocabulary
Learning the Spanish language on your own can be difficult. However, a great way to start learning Spanish is with grammar and vocabulary.
Language experts recommend using visual flashcards for vocabulary. Instead of words, it's easier to remember words by pictures if you utilize flashcards with simple words on the front and back.
It's best to study grammar with a book. Start with a simple grammar book like Gabrielle Stobbe's Just Enough Spanish Grammar Illustrated. It was a simple book to read and understand to refresh with principles of grammar and learn the correct Spanish grammar. You can move to advanced grammar books once you are confident with the basics. Choose books that include grammar and sentence structure exercises. It will speed up your learning of verb conjugation.
3. Stream a lot of podcast videos, TV shows, and movies
Subscribe to streaming services that offer bilingual TV shows and movies like Dish Latino TV and Netflix. Begin with your favorite movies and turn on the subtitle options to the Spanish language if you watch English content, or turn on the English subtitle if you watch Spanish content.
Streaming Podcast videos in Spanish with English subtitles is also an option aside from watching TV shows and movies.
4. Practice speaking to yourself
The downside of studying the Spanish language alone is that there is no one to practice with and give you feedback. In addition, if you haven't experienced having a conversation before, you may feel overwhelmed and frustrated when someone is speaking Spanish faster. You must create a relationship between your thoughts and the words that come out of your tongue. Unfortunately, that is not easy to do when you're in a hurry.
You may practice speaking to yourself to prepare for different situations and improve your speaking faster.
Start by having a conversation with yourself. Although it may appear amusing, this learning style has proven to assist people in learning languages faster.
Imagine yourself in situations where you will be required to communicate with others. Start with common discussions like introducing yourself, asking directions, ordering food, last movie you watched, how-to's, etc. Then, make it a point to respond aloud so that your ideas and tongue are in sync.
5. Use Spanish language training application
The most challenging aspect of learning Spanish on your own is speaking it. You have to know the correct pronunciation. It's a great idea to start by learning Spanish pronunciation and how it differs from English.
There are many language training apps that you can download through your mobile phone to teach you how to properly pronounce the words and provide you with feedback from a native speaker. These apps can help you improve your pronunciation and your listening skills.
6. Join online Spanish groups
The exciting part of learning Spanish is when you are ready to communicate with other people. Join online Spanish groups such as Facebook groups, forums, online Spanish-speaking community portals, and even a Spanish dating app! From there, you will be able to practice what you have learned and gain new friends at the same time.
You can learn Spanish on your own
Learning Spanish on your own is entirely up to you. You can enroll in a Spanish class or hire a Spanish tutor; it's really up to you. Remember that learning the Spanish language by yourself is a process. If you are determined to learn, you can achieve your goals. You'll need that kind of commitment to study Spanish on your own. It's not impossible; you can learn in no time with the right tools and extra motivation.
