How to learn Spanish & not die trying

1. Create a study routine that fits your schedule: In a previous post we talked about how we can create a routine that allows us to practice as much time as possible. There are activities that do not have so much importance that we can identify to eliminate or reduce them and use that time in our Spanish practice. This way, we make sure we use our time wisely and do more than we thought possible at the beginning.

2. Be consistent and disciplined: To achieve any goal we have in mind whether it is playing an instrument, playing soccer or chess, or learning another language we have to be aware that constant practice makes perfect. Once we have made our routine it is important to follow it by the book for a whole month until we have created the habit of practicing and studying on a regular basis without losing sight of our goals. Even if motivation fails our discipline will help us to stay on track. 

3. Set realistic goals: In the beginning, it is easy to feel that we are making great strides with our Spanish learning and we have unrealistic expectations of learning the language fast. However, after several months of constant practice there comes a time when we feel that we are not making progress and we lose our motivation. To avoid feeling disappointed, the best thing to do is to have realistic expectations from the beginning about what we want to achieve and to set out to learn specific topics or a given amount of vocabulary in a fixed time frame that allows us to practice and make progress. Feeling a little pressure is good but remember that learning another language should be fun too.

4. Focus on learning the Spanish of a region first: As you may know, Spanish is spoken by almost 500 million people in the world in different regions and countries, and each of these countries has its own dialect and way of pronouncing certain words and sounds. Therefore, if you don’t want to feel overwhelmed with so much vocabulary and sounds that vary from one country to another, you can focus on learning about the region of your interest and then, if you want, move on to another one.

5. Find friends who share your interest in learning Spanish: the road to mastery of learning Spanish can be overwhelming if you don’t have someone to share and practice your skills with. Therefore, we recommend that you look among your friends and family for someone who is on the same path as you and with whom you can have practice sessions. If the person knows more than you, you can ask him or her to correct your pronunciation of certain sounds or to explain things that you have not fully understood. If, on the other hand, you have more knowledge, you can put it into practice by doing the teacher’s work and consolidating it. You will see that either way you will benefit.