Things You'll Need:
- a Basic knowledge of Spanish (Level 1)
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Step 1
Think in Spanish. If you are sitting at your desk or stuck in traffic or watching TV at night, try to identify things around you, such as ‘edificio’ [eh-de-FE-seoh] (building) ‘calle’ [KAH-yeh] (street) ‘toalla’ [toe-AH-ya] (towel) and such.
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Step 2
Describe your actions in Spanish. The best way to do this (when you are by yourself, so that people don’t look at you strangely) is to say it out loud, such as ‘Yo estoy andando en la calle,’ [yo es-TOY an-DAHN-do en la KAH-yeh] (I am walking down the street) or ‘Los hijos estan jugando’ [los EE-hoes es-TAN hu-GAN-do] (The children are playing.) This gives you the experience of thinking, speaking and hearing Spanish.
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Step 3
Learn new words by watching DVDs. Most DVDs have a Spanish subtitle track. Though it is not 100 percent accurate, it is generally close enough to get the idea of what the words mean. Many DVDs also now have a Spanish language track, so that you can hear Spanish as well as read it. This is especially effective for a film that you know very well, and eases the mental translating.
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Step 4
Make your ear accustomed to hearing Spanish. Find a Spanish radio station and try to understand what they are saying. After watching DVDs as a ‘primer,’ this will help to make you more comfortable in hearing Spanish without any visuals words. It is also a good way to hear Spanish if you don’t have access to a DVD player.
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Step 5
Converse with a friend. If you have a significant other, friend, relative or roommate who is learning Spanish (or better yet, already speaks Spanish) practice on them. Start with small routine things, like ‘Quieres mas agua?’ [kee-AIR-ays mahs AH-gwah] (Would you like more water?) and build into full conversations.
