Do you want to study Spanish? In this article, we will give you some tips that will help you learn that language.
Spanish is one of the most spoken languages in the world. It is the official language of Spain, but also of 19 other countries located in Central and South America, the Caribbean islands (Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic) and Central Africa (Equatorial Guinea). It’s also worth mentioning that it is the second most spoken language in the United States and that, according to an article by the BBC, in the year 2017 it was estimated that there were 567 million Spanish speakers worldwide.
Given the above, there are not a few companies that require a bridge that connects them linguistically with this public, and that is where a bilingual and trained worker becomes essential. Besides, learning Spanish opens the doors to a millenary culture, fascinating people and architectural structures whose context will make you hallucinate.
If you are already determined to learn Spanish, follow the tips below. It should be noted that to maximize your learning you must clarify every word you do not know in an English-Spanish dictionary and even in a dictionary of definitions in case you don’t understand the translation of a word or phrase in your native language. These are the tips:
Listen to Spanish music
There is nothing as stimulating as a sticky melody. So if you want to feel good vibes and learn Spanish while you are at it, you may experiment with genres such as flamenco, salsa, merengue and captivating tango. You can also listen to the masters Gustavo Cerati (rock), Fito Páez (rock), Juan Luis Guerra (ballad, merengue, salsa, and bachata) and Rubén Blades (salsa) with whom you can not only learn new words but also enjoy their great melodies and exquisite prose.
Watch Spanish films, television series and documentaries related to topics that interest you.
Consider learning more about a given topic every single day. Make it your goal to progressively cover portions of this content and comment on what you have learned in class or with your acquaintances; you could also start your journal or Blog for this purpose. This way, you will stimulate your memory and comprehension of what you experienced, at the same time that you will be learning new words and expressions. Movies by Benicio del Toro, Antonio Banderas or those directed by Pedro Almodóvar and Alfonso Cuarón provide an excellent opportunity in this regard.
You can also enjoy your favorite films in a didactic way: If possible, first watch the movie in English with Spanish subtitles, a second time with Spanish dubbing and English subtitles, and a third time dubbed and subtitled in Spanish. By doing this, you will work on your reading comprehension and habituate your ears to understand this language.
Read as many Spanish authors as you can
If your passion is to put those little eyes of yours to work and devour books, you will enjoy the great classics of Spanish literature, by the hands of Gabriel García Márquez, Miguel Otero Silva, Rómulo Gallegos, Julio Cortázar, Ernesto Sábato, Horacio Quiroga, Mario Vargas Llosa, Isabel Allende, Garcilaso de la Vega and Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer. In them, you will find a repertoire of stories that will take you on a historical and cultural journey.
Use mobile applications in Spanish
There are mobile applications such as Fun Spanish, Duolingo, Busuu, and Babbel whose daily use work miracles in learning any language, and Spanish is no exception. You can also configure your other applications so that their default language is Spanish. It is an additional way to continually expose yourself to this language’s learning process.
Go on a student exchange program
Enjoying a great album, song, book or television series in Spanish is an excellent way to practice that language but if you really want to take your learning to a new level, a trip to a Spanish-speaking country that immerses a student into a new language through natural learning contexts after hard study would constitute a motivational contribution that will reinforce the learning process of that language.
Now, if you are interested in studying Spanish in Spain or another Spanish-speaking country, we will be happy to help you in this regard. Please contact us to receive more information.
