How to Learn Spanish Quickly for Kids
Learning Spanish can be fun and rewarding. Many kids hear Spanish in their neighborhoods and want to talk to new friends. Others hear their favorite artist sing in Spanish and want to know the words and how to pronounce them correctly. Others observe that at the mall or restaurant where they work many customers speak Spanish and employees who speak Spanish can earn more. Kids have plenty of motivation to learn Spanish but are not always patient with their own progress. They want to learn Spanish fast.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
Learn Vocabulary Fast
-
1
Identify the specific area in which you plan to use the language. It may be school, a restaurant, a store or in a personal relationship. Make a list or download a list of terms related to the area in which you want to become fluent. With either an online English to Spanish dictionary or a traditional paperback dictionary jot down the meanings of each word. Work with 10 to 20 words at a time. Test your knowledge of these words using flash cards with pictures and illustrations you create. You can draw, cut out or download the pictures from the Internet. The more senses you involve in the learning the better and faster you will acquire the language.
-
2
Listen to the language being used in the context you want to speak it. Go to where kids are speaking Spanish and let them know you want to learn and just listen. Jot down words and expressions that make sense in the context of the conversation. Many of these words are similar to English words. These are called cognates. Words like communicacion, definicion, futbol and familia do not send you to the dictionary. Write down others that you hear but whose meaning is not as clear.
-
-
3
Get a basic Spanish textbook and have a friend who knows Spanish tutor you in the basics of how the language works. Things like subject pronouns, verb tenses and adjectives need to be explained. The more you listen to the language being spoken, the more these grammar rules will be acquired.
-
4
Do not stress out over pronunciation. A simple rhyme says, A E I O U el burro sabe mas que tu. Ask a Spanish speaker to practice that saying with you. Vowel sounds are always consistent. Each vowel makes one and only one sound. This makes pronunciation much easier. The differences between English and Spanish consonants is slight. The letters B and V make the same sound in Spanish. As you listen to Spanish with your teachers, friends, on television and radio you will acquire a better pronunication over time.
-
5
Be aware of differences. Spanish is a language that is made up of many different dialects. Each dialect can have a distinct sound and unique words. Be aware that if you are listening to Enrique Iglesias from Spain sing, he will use the word, "vosotros" for a group of people. Alejandro Fernandez will call the fans, "Ustedes" and not "vosotros". Be flexible in dealing with the different dialects and decide which dialect you wish to adopt.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit sign in spanish. image by Empath from Fotolia.com
