We all have things that come easy to us and some that do not. As a teacher, I like to help ALL students feel confident that they can learn Spanish and in their own way.
So, I would like to share with you some encouraging tips for learning Spanish I pass on to students and parents.
- Find the approach that works for YOU. There are many classes, curriculums, and programs out there. As you look around, read information about the ones that catch your eye, spark your interest. Then try one whose description seems to fit YOU. You may hear about the “best approach” or have people tell you what you “should” do, but if it doesn’t click with you, it may not be right for you. We all learn in different ways, and the truth is there can be many ways to reach the same goal.
- Take your time and don’t rush yourself. Language learning to fluency level is a long process. Know that becoming fluent usually takes years, unless you have the luck of living in a Spanish speaking country. Set a long term goal for your child to achieve fluency by adulthood, and set short term goals that can be achieved each year along the way.
- Go at your own pace. Don’t compare yourself to how fast your friends are learning Spanish. For some people it comes easy. In other cases maybe they have more time to spend on it. What is important is that you keep plugging away, at your pace, so that you learn it well for YOU!
- Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. This is easier said than done. But really it is about an attitude. When I was studying abroad in college, I had been studying Spanish for seven years prior. It was intimidating talking with native speakers as I struggled to understand them at their native pace and tried to respond correctly. I felt self-conscious. But making mistakes, working hard to understand, and struggling to speak correctly are all part of the process. I learned to let go of embarrassment, ask questions if I didn’t understand, and accepted that making mistakes when speaking were all part of becoming better. I had a Spanish friend who said to me, “It’s just about communicating. That is what is important.”
- Don’t get discouraged. We all get discouraged, but when we do we need to encourage ourselves again. Students can get discouraged for many reasons. Maybe they have trouble understanding things they hear or read, or they lack confidence with pronunciation or verb conjugation, or they just think they stink at it all together. Usually when we feel this way it is because we are comparing ourselves to other people or some standard we have in our minds. But the truth is language learning is about communication. Let me tell you about a man I once worked with whose native language was Portuguese. He was the director of sales for Latin America for our company, and I was his right hand “man”. We both had to speak Spanish to do our jobs. Well, this man had the most unique way of speaking Spanish, a “hybrid” for lack of a better word, of Portuguese mixed with Spanish, not exactly textbook Spanish. But, guess what! He did a fabulous job and successfully communicated with all our customers in spite of his linguistic flaws and conducted business at a rather high level. No matter what level, you are going to make mistakes, BUT you can communicate more than you think.
- Be patient with yourself. Since language learning is a long process, you will have times of moving ahead and times when you plateau for a while. This is ok! I have found that as we progress to new skill levels, our progress slows for a while because we need to spend time at each level to gain expertise where we are.
- Trust in accumulation. This is about continually building on what you are learning. If you try an approach that doesn’t work for you, no big deal. You will still have learned something that you can take with you to the next class or program you try. As you go along, you will continue to add to what you have been learning. Over time, you will see the accumulation of your efforts and find that you have really started to build something.
- Learn to laugh at yourself. This is good advice for life in general, but find a way to laugh at your Spanish mistakes, like how funny you might say something or your mistake in understanding someone. We ALL make mistakes, and they can be funny. When studying in Spain, one of my American friends went into a pub and asked for “A kiss of water.” Everyone around her laughed, and then she laughed too. The word for kiss in Spanish is “beso”. The word for glass is “vaso” with the “v” pronounced like a “b”. It was easy to mix up the two words and funny to hear, especially to the Spaniards!
If you have any encouraging tips for learning Spanish, please feel free to comment here. Also, if you have any specific questions on this subject, please feel free to drop me an email at support@spanish-for-you.net. I would be happy to help you!
I wish you much success and enjoyment as you embark on the journey of learning Spanish.
Debbie