
10 tips to teach yourself Spanish for free
Would you like to teach yourself Spanish? Today we will give you 10 tips to do it very easily. Self-learning does happen if you put out enough will and discipline. Some people can learn languages naturally and effortlessly, while others get to see a lot around the world: in any case, reading these tips will help you to get your goal.
Always remember that Spanish is not such a phonetically tricky language as English is, that vowel sounds do not vary extremely no matter how much stress you apply to them, and you must have gone quite far, to begin with.
LEARN SPANISH BY MYSELF
ATTITUDE
Learning is always self-learning in the end, and attitude is what makes the change. Take pleasure in the process rather than getting yourself all stressed out for results, and a long time won’t go by before you get there; do the contrary, and you risk getting frustrated.
RADIO
Radio is a very interesting option when you decide to teach yourself Spanish. We recommend you listen to the newscasts or shorts/shows about culture, language or history. In this way you will also learn more about the Spanish culture.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., are already part of our lives and they came to stay. Although it’s true that at times those who post on social media may not be the most adequate users of a language, it’s also true that social media expose you to Spanish as it currently is. And once you have reached quite a level of skills, it can be fun to find things that are not completely correct and turn them around for the sake of grammatical correction.
BOOKS AND NEWSPAPERS
Reading is one great, if not the best way to practice Spanish by yourself. Consider that Spanish ranks fourth in the list of languages having a writer awarded with Nobel prize for literature, only behind English, French and German (in that order). So, Spanish literature is one you may definitely want to know, and online books in Spanish are not so difficult to find. Download PDF-format books if tablets or similar devices are your things. If your appetite for knowledge and data is voracious, Wikipedia can fit like a glove: there are a lot of entries in Spanish.
As an essential component of language acquisition, reading strengthen both your grammar and syntax in ways greater than the obvious.
APPS
Among the most popular free apps is Duolingo. This app is very user-friendly either on your PC or your phone, and you do not need to devote decades to improving your Spanish level. Apart from Duolingo, there are many other apps to learn languages, such as Babbel, Busuu, or Memrise.
WRITE
Writing is another great way to improve your Spanish level. Be creative and come up with a short story, retell a joke, or a funny story in which you are the protagonist: here what matters is to get going. We also recommend going to chat rooms, whether for exclusively academic purposes or if you are feeling like striking new friendships.
LANGUAGE GAMES
Games have been regarded for ages as powerful tools to learn languages. You could not believe how high the number of games out there is. Who said your learning had to be a dull and sterile time?
NO OVERLOADING
If done daily, and contrary to what could be the belief, you should not take excruciatingly long sessions to learn Spanish by yourself. Many authorities point out that 10-15 minutes should be sufficient (thus, the duration of sessions in Duolingo and other apps). Just take it easy, but move forward steadily.
IMMERSION
Try to use the Spanish language as much as possible in your daily life. For example, set up your common devices to Spanish, read manuals in Spanish any time you have the opportunity, etc.
PROGRAM BASED ON TRUE NEEDS
Set your learning and your pace up on what your needs are: if you are learning Spanish because you got a job in Spain or Latin America and you will be traveling there or communicating with the Spanish-speaking staff very often. This is important because gives a feeling of accomplishing things that are embedded. However, as we said above: enjoying the ride is also vital.
IN CONCLUSION
To teach yourself Spanish may be a high peak to climb up, but asking for assistance will not make your feat look lesser. If at a certain point you have the urge to hire a teacher or enroll in an online course, count on us!