Try Thinking In Spanish

To learn Spanish, or for that matter any language, can be a lot of work. Rote memorization will be required of course, but are there also easier ways? Many, actually. You can label things around the house using your new language, for example. You can listen to language CDs and tapes while you are driving. You can also do what I did to learn Spanish. You can think in Spanish.

How I Learned Spanish

For about six weeks before going to Ecuador, I studied Spanish books. The problem was that I just read the books and took notes. I didn't speak a word of the language prior to my trip. It was a big mistake, because speaking a language is not only crucial to learning proper pronunciation, but it speeds up the whole process of learning.

The good news? Despite my limited study, I could converse with the locals in the hostel in Quito the day after I arrived. Within a few days I was discussing economics, philosophy, and politics with Ana, who is now my wife. How did I learn Spanish so rapidly?

Actually, I didn't really learn Spanish quickly. Even after a month in Ecuador, I had a very limited vocabulary. However, I could use what little I knew to express myself, and this made all the difference. I credit this to a habit which I soon realized is a great technique for learning any language. It is the habit I had of having conversations in my head - in Spanish.

I was always thinking of what I might say. Even in English I hear possible future discussions in my mind. I found myself doing this in Spanish as well. The result? I learned how to say a lot with the few Spanish words I knew.

Think In Spanish

You might think you have to be fluent to think in a language, but this just isn't so. If you can think "I am traveling to the beach," there is no reason you can't think "Yo estoy viajando a la playa," as soon as you know those six words. And if you don't know the verb "viajar" (to travel), but know how to say "Yo voy a la playa," (I go to the beach) - then think that. You can also look up a word or two in a dictionary as you get "stuck."

Repetition helps memory, and repetitively speaking the new vocabulary is even better than just reading or writing the words. Saying the words in your mind is a way to be "speaking" in Spanish all the time, and it is a very productive habit to develop.

More than just practice, putting your thoughts into Spanish forces you to learn not just words and rules, but specific ways to express what you want to tell others. People have different interests, and need to say different things. For example, a nurse might need to say "where does it hurt?" while you may need to ask where you can find a beach.

Spanish lessons are often about what the teacher thinks you should know - a good start. But your thoughts and needs are uniquely yours. Thus, when you think in Spanish, and imagine the situations you'll be in, you are teaching yourself exactly what YOU need to learn.

If you want to learn even faster, carry an English/Spanish dictionary to use whenever your thoughts stop flowing easily. You can use it to find other ways to express yourself as well. You'll learn the words, expressions and sentences that are most important to you - and quickly - if you are always hearing them in your mind. It is a powerful way to learn to communicate in Spanish (or any language), even before you know many words.
Steve Gillman has been working on his Spanish with his wife Ana, a native of Ecuador. Together they have built a website where you can get free lessons in Spanish.

Spanish Vocabulary

Spanish vocabulary isn't hard to acquire if you know how to speak French or Italian, but it still isn't too hard if you only speak English. You can get enough vocabulary in about 3 months to keep a steady Spanish conversation on a normal subject. Spanish is one of the easier languages to learn and if you're a language enthusiast then you should start learning it.

There's a fact in Spanish vocabulary that'll be to your advantage: the thousand most spoken Spanish words are used in 80% of regular speech. This means that if you have a regular conversation with someone who speaks Spanish, you'll understand 8 on 10 things which this person tells you given that you know these thousand words.

Once you learn these thousand words, you will get more vocabulary with time. Because you already have a good foundation, the rest (20%) will come to you with the use of your Spanish vocabulary. Often enough you'll read a sentence and not understand one word, however thanks to your Spanish foundation you'll know the other words and you can decipher the word you don't understand because it's used in it's context. You'll realize that if you know the most common Spanish words you can, by simply speaking and practicing Spanish, learn the rest and become very proficient in the language.

Spanish vocabulary is very similar to that of French or Italian. If you don't speak either of these languages, you can learn them after you learn Spanish. In this sense, Spanish is opening your doors to more languages. If you want to learn Spanish words effectively, you should learn a couple of words a day, review them before you go to sleep and then review them again a week later. This helps you remember them - especially if you sleep on them.

What beats all of these techniques is to use the Spanish vocabulary you have learnt. By using it you'll make it stick in your head and you won't forget about it.

Now, it's important you acquire the thousand most common Spanish words. This is the toughest part to learn Spanish, since you need to put effort and be motivated to get through it. You can accomplish this goal in only 3 months given that you are motivated.

When I first wanted to learn Spanish vocabulary and get myself a foundation, I did my research on the most popular Spanish courses out there and I bought the one which everyone was reviewing as very good - Rocket Spanish. Since then I now speak very fluent Spanish, and I believe that Rocket Spanish has helped me allot.

Choose The Best Way To Learn Spanish Fast

Planning a trip to Spain? Heading to the new South American branch for work? Learning a new language is always an advantage for a globe trotter or a savvy professional. Spanish is definitely helpful to know, because it is the second most common language in the world.

There are numerous foreign language teaching sources out there. A lot of them can be discouraging and tedious with too many drills on and rote memorization with grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, and verb conjugations. These lengthy courses can take a lot of your time while you feel like you’re not making much progress.

If you do not want to go to these long, drawn-out classes that can bore rather than teach, one source you can try is the Internet. The Web is a horde of foreign language learning alternatives. You then have lots of options to learn Spanish fast. But, it can be tough to make the right choice.

Traditional learning methods such as books and classes taken at school can take longer than expected. Rote memorization of new words and phrases probably will not help you at all. Instead, look for options that work with your schedule, skill level, and learning goals. Do you want to become fully fluent in writing, reading, and speaking? Would you rather focus on improving your conversation, so you can comfortably travel around while you are abroad?

If you are looking for lessons that do not interfere too much with your schedule, portable courses such as those on CDs and cassettes are a great way to pick up words and phrases while you are going through your day. It is easy to learn Spanish fast when you are practicing words, phrases, and conversations while on the way to work, to the gym, or while doing errands at home. Using audio-based courses are also helpful for improving your pronunciation.

Another great way to quickly pick up the language is to concentrate on a learning process that teaches core vocabulary that are usually used every day by native speakers. Rather than press a student to memorize a large number of vocabulary that he or she may not use often, the student is encouraged to focus on common words and phrases that can readily be put to use.

Because language is primarily based on speech, you can learn Spanish fast by using courses that improve your conversation. At the very least, you can pick up helpful words and phrases you can use to get around while traveling. And then, if you want, you can try more detailed lessons on grammar, vocabulary, and writing.

Six Keys to Help You Learn Spanish Online

This article consists of six tips to help you learn Spanish online. If you follow these six tips, you can be sure that you will learn to speak Spanish online much easier.

Key Numero Uno to Learn Spanish Online:

"Stay motivated"

I think everyone that studies a foreign language will experience a time when they are becoming less and less motivated. You may feel that you are losing your desire to learn Spanish online around the same time that you have reached a plateau.

If you feel that you are losing your desire to learn to speak Spanish online, try planning a trip to a Spanish speaking country. Since you will want to get the most out of your trip, this should motivate you to study.

Here's another tip to help you stay motivated and to make you want to learn to speak Spanish online. Find a native speaker that you are romantically interested in. Since you will probably want to impress him or her with your Spanish, this should motivate you to keep studying and make you want to learn Spanish online. You will also notice that you are making progress quicker by practicing your Spanish with a native speaker and that should also motivate you to keep studying and practicing Spanish.

Of course, this tip only applies to single people or other people without a significant other.

Key Numero Dos to Learn to speak Spanish Online: "Don't Be Afraid of Making Mistakes"

Make lots of mistakes. And then after you have made lots of mistakes go make some more mistakes. And then go make some more mistakes.

Many people are afraid of making mistakes when learning Spanish online. If you really want to learn to speak Spanish online, then you have to accept the fact that making mistakes is part of the learning process. The more mistakes you make, the quicker you learn to speak Spanish online.

If you are not making mistakes, that's probably an indication that you are not making the effort to learn Spanish online.

Some people will try to learn to speak Spanish online by ONLY listening. Their reasoning is that once they learn enough Spanish that's when they will begin trying to speak Spanish online. But I can I assure you that it doesn't work that way. It works in reverse.

That is, once you start trying to speak Spanish and making mistakes that's when you will begin to learn to speak Spanish online. Not the other way around.

So go ahead and make mistakes. The mistakes aren't there to embarrass you. The mistakes are there to help you master Spanish.

Key Numero Tres to Learn Spanish Online:

"Focus on how to speak Spanish" Don't focus on "why Spanish is Spoken the way it is"

Many people have sent me emails with questions such as why is it "me gusta" (I like) instead of "me gusto" or why is it "me toma" instead of "me tomo"

Of course, I could easily answer these questions. (And I do) But the objective is not to try equate everything in Spanish with English or your native language.

Accept the fact that Spanish grammar is different from English grammar. And focus on the objective of any language -- which is to communicate effectively.

And in order to communicate effectively, you only need to understand and be understood. It is not necessary that you understand each and every grammatical facet.

Trying to do so will only hinder your learning and make it difficult to learn Spanish online. Imagine trying to teach a 4 yr old the definition of a direct pronoun vs. an indirect pronoun. We would never attempt such a thing. But the 4yr old child is still fluent in his or her native language.

So make your goal to understand and be understood. Focus on "how to speak Spanish" Don't focus on "why Spanish is Spoken the way it is."

Key Numero Cuatro to Learn to Speak Spanish Online:

"Master the Fundamentals"

Many people spend their time learning a bunch of Spanish vocabulary that they could go a life time and never use. That's because the words are hardly used in normal everyday conversation.

If you want to learn to speak Spanish online without Wasting anytime, I advise you to master the fundamentals. When I say the "fundamentals" I am referring to the basic vocabulary and basic grammar.

I know adults that have studied Spanish for a few years and they know thousands of words in Spanish. Although they may be proficient in Spanish, I would not consider them fluent. On the other hand, a three or four year old native Spanish-speaking child can speak Spanish fluently. It is not because the child knows thousand of words in Spanish. The child may only know about a thousand words or less in Spanish. But the child has mastered the fundamentals.

Mastery of the fundamentals is what separates the proficient from the fluent.

If you really want to learn to speak Spanish online make it a priority to master the fundamentals.

Key Numero Cinco to Learn Spanish Online:

"Take Advantage of downtime"

Finding time to study can be a challenge. Many people just don't have the time to sit down and study. But who said that you have to be sitting down? If you are waiting in line at the bank or waiting at the doctor's office, turn on your mp3 player or ipod and listen to an audio Spanish lesson.

If you drive to work everyday, that's an excellent opportunity to practice your favorite audio Spanish course. If you like to jog or exercise on a stairmaster or treadmill, bring your mp3 player or ipod with you and listen to your favorite audio Spanish course

Instead of watching the 10' clock News. Watch "Las Noticias" Instead of watching a movie on HBO, watch a movie on HBO Latino.

So to those that say "I just don't have the time to learn Spanish online." My response is that you can make excuses or you can learn to speak Spanish online. But you can't do both. The choice is yours.

Key Numero Seis to Learn to speak Spanish Online:

"Become an Imitator"

Some Spanish courses do not put much emphasis on pronunciation. I think that is a big mistake.

If you really want to be understood, you must try to mimic native speakers.

Have you every experienced someone that asked you for directions or some other question and you were unable to assist the person because you didn't speak her language. And then you suddenly realized that the person was actually speaking English but her accent was so thick that you thought the person was speaking another language.

The same thing happens to Spanish ears. If you do not develop good pronunciation, you will not be understand.

If you say the word "dad" in Spanish and you do not stress the appropriate syllable, a native Spanish speaker may think that you are talking about "french fries." To English ears the difference may be very subtle. But to the Latin American its the difference between "dad" and "potatoes".

So focus on mimicking native Spanish speakers.

I hope that you enjoyed these 6 Tips to Help You Learn Spanish Online and that they truly help you in your journey to learn to speak Spanish online.