If you are just beginning to speak Spanish, you are most-likely feeling a lot more comfortable and secure with the language and how Spanish speaking sounds. Hopefully you are beginning to be more confident about trying those sounds yourself. Though remember – don’t be shy! You probably will make some errors, you might not be able to sound exactly like a native Spanish-speaker, nevertheless the more you try, the more you will find yourself improving and the closer you will come to being a developed Spanish speaker. Keep that objective in mind, and it will get a lot easier.
Undeterred by what kind of learner you are, using all of your senses will aid you to fix in the mind. It is true. From my own experience that when I am in a class, and I just listen to what my teacher is saying, my thinking easily wanders into what food I will cook tonight. And, when I try to just read one of my study books, I attempt to tell myself that that particular information is going to stay in my mind. I sometimes even test myself, in my mind. But later, when I attempt to write down my class notes...they are just not there!
People are just not computers. We are programmed to learn from talking about, listening to and experiencing things. When we hear, talk about or do a thing repeatedly, it becomes "stuck" in our minds. That's just how experts are developed! Wanting to become an expert in Spanish? Here is some advice for getting started:
Listen carefully... not casually: Listen for distinctive words, listen for previously heard words, listen to hear when a sentence concludes, or a question commences, and listen for a prompt for you to respond.
Attempt to speak confidently, don't be shy!.
Use your newly refined skills; ask your dog how they are (in Spanish) this afternoon, if that's a possibility, or try on for size your new conversation with your child/roommate. Find a TV show in Spanish, or a Spanish Internet forum on a matter you like, and follow along adding comments if possible! You probably won't know every word, not yet. But I bet at this stage, you'll know some of them. It will help you feel more fearless.
For the next step, think about joining an online Spanish learning community. This is a fabulous method for sharing your thoughts with others, keeping in mind there are many others in your position exactly like you! Don't forget you can also keep notes! This is an awesome way to reinforce the new material you have learned.
Reading overseas newspapers is another good idea for increasing your vocabulary and understanding, as many of the recent stories will be familiar and provide some context. Try your nearest library or the internet for example, like the El Pais newspaper.
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