How to Learn Spanish Quickly

There is no doubt that Spanish is one of the most important languages. Here's how to learn Spanish quickly.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Desire to learn Spanish

1. The fastest way to learn Spanish is through total immersion. That means traveling to a Spanish-speaking area and immersing yourself completely in the language. So pack your bags and go. (If you can't go abroad, go to Step 3.)

2. It is said that one week in a foreign country can equal one year in the classroom. However, what some people don't realize is that when they travel abroad in a Spanish-speaking country, they need to only speak Spanish! That means that you shouldn't be traveling with a group of your English-speaking friends. If you rent an apartment, don't live with other foreigners, but find a family or some individuals who are living together and renting out a room. This will force you to use Spanish daily. Otherwise you aren't really immersing yourself!

3. If you are unable to travel abroad, you can still find ways to semi-immerse yourself. One of the best ways is to become an ESL teacher in a Spanish-speaking neighborhood. Most areas of the US that have immigrants have community centers that teach English. By getting in there and teaching English, you will also have a chance to hear Spanish spoken and have a chance to ask questions about Spanish. See it as a chance to exchange knowledge.

4. Continue your semi-immersion by buying a few CDs in Spanish to listen to every time you are in your car. Not language-learning CDs but music CDs. One of the best musical acts for learning Spanish is Eydie Gorme and Trio Los Panchos. The music is very soft and the words are clear.

5. At home, listen to the radio or turn on the Spanish channel. Even if you can't understand what they are saying, your brain will still be subconsciously processing all of those words.

6. Reinforce your immersion with a good dictionary and grammar book. Spend about 15 minutes per day reading through your book.

7. Take index cards and write down new words and their English equivalent on the back. Flip through the cards once in a while and try to guess the Spanish word by looking at the English word and vice versa. This will build up your vocabulary very quickly.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid the main mistake that learners make which is running to the comfort of their English-speaking friends. Those who try immersion but really just spend time with English speakers learn maybe a quarter of what those who truly immerse themselves do.

[marqueza]

on 10/29/2009 I have experienced this here locally in the states and abroad. What you say is so true. For those learning via music, many of the popular songs in spanish have the lyrics available online, which can help in getting some new vocabulary. Great article!