The Beginner's Page
So you've decided to learn to speak Spanish. We're sure that you have your own unique reasons, but here are some other good reasons for learning Spanish:
The top 10 reasons for learning Spanish
or how about:
20 good reasons for learning Spanish
Okay, now you have plenty of reasons for learning to speak Spanish, but before you begin developing a plan, you need to know something about how people learn languages. This won't take long - you don't need to memorize it.
Language components and tools explains the elements of learning. Mind Tools tells you how to move beyond rote memorization. Now there are some things that you need to know -- about yourself. What kind of Spanish student are you? And About.com tells you about the differences between visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning styles. Which are you?
Then you need to know your level. There's beginner and there's BEGINNER. Take this TEST to find out where you place.
What about your age? Skip this if you're twenty, but click here if you wonder "Am I too old to learn a new language?"
Do you need to learn quickly or do you have plenty of time? How much can you afford to spend? Where will you be using Spanish? Check our Design Your Own Plan page for help in deciding these questions and more. You'll need to write a few things down. The page then continues with ideas about developing a plan of action. Make notes. That's the plan we're using here.
If you made notes, then you should have a plan now. It should include (all or in part):
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Train Your Ear.
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Listen and Repeat.
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Building Vocabulary.
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Grammar.
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Local Classes.
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Foreign Immersion.
In this next section, we're going to tell you how to find the resources to do these things. We'll show you resources that are free and not free, online and off. Everything you need. At the end of the section, we'll discuss a) the fastest way to learn Spanish, b) the easiest way to learn Spanish and c) the cheapest way to learn Spanish.
Train Your Ear.
- Find the local radio and television stations that broadcast is Spanish. Play them whenever you can (in the background is fine). You local bookstore probably has a music section that will allow you to listen to cds before you buy them. Find slow music in Spanish. You need to be able to hear the words. Here is a link to worldwide radio stations.
- Go to a Mexican restaurant and tell them what you're doing and ask for music suggestions.
- Go to Our Own Amazon Store, and in the product box select music, and for the keyword type Latin. If you use the keyword Spanish, it will give you lots of children's music in Spanish. Hey, children's music is good. Simple, repetitive. In Latin Music, there are thousands of choices. Try this: in the search bar, type in Buena Vista Social Club. Their stuff is terrific for singing along. And Great Music.
- Another resource is Songs for Teaching. It's for children, and fairly elementary - alphabet songs, songs about animals, foods, singalong songs, that sort of thing. But fun. Listen and Repeat. Our favorite is Pimsleur Spanish.
- For others, check out With Audio on our Learn page.Building Vocabulary. Here's where the labeling comes in. Use Study Spanish or find words by Category.Grammar.
- Here's a book that you're going to need: 501 Verbs. You'll see it everywhere. And it can't get any easier for finding the correct forms than by using our Grammar Page.
- Local Classes. Can't help you much here. Try local colleges, universities, technical schools. Look in the phone book under language school, language tutors, etc. Ask the library to help you find a class or tutor. Ask at your favorite Mexican restaurant if they know of a class or tutor.
- Foreign Immersion Classes. Pick the country you're interested in. Go through our Travel page and find that country's page, then pick a city. Then look for the Immersion school heading. If you don't have a country in mind, just browse the country pages. The most popular (meaning the most visited) are Spain, Mexico, Costa Rica and Argentina. Immersion schools have really become popular, so you shouldn't have any trouble finding one. Here are some thoughts on HOW to pick an immersion school
Things to consider when picking an immersion school.
The Fastest Way to Learn Spanish
- Foreign Immersion School. No doubt about it. 4 to 6 months of speaking almost total Spanish. All Spanish classes (take a full load), in a Spanish speaking country (pick a town that isn't overrun with English speaking tourists), and staying with a family that only speaks Spanish (even if they CAN speak English). Homestay. No other option for fast learning. This is it. The absolute fastest way. (For the first few weeks, your brain will feel like it's going to explode. Then it gets easier).
The Easiest Way to Learn Spanish
- Of course, easy is in the mind of the beholder. For our money, the easiest way to learn Spanish would be a combination of Pimsleur Spanish (listen and repeat) and Rosetta Stone. You can listen to Pimsluer Spanish almost anywhere. And then a half hour of Rosetta Stone Spanish every day. Pretty easy. Throw in the background music and tv just for fun.
The Cheapest Way to Learn Spanish
- Right here on your computer. On this website. Here is a list of sites that provide free online lessons, starting with Lesson One. Try a few lesson ones to see which program you like best. Or alternate back and forth between lessons, just to mix it up.
Online Courses. Here are quite a few online courses. Check it out. ELearnSpanish - Spanish Learning Resources
ielanguages.com - open-of-course.org - June29
OnlineSpanishhelp.com - NoComprendo.es - 12 Weeks (BBC)
OnlinefreeSpanish.com - About.com - Notes in Spanish
Free Online Lessons - 123teachme - cela school
babelnation.com - curso de español - cursobasico
from the embassy of Spain -BusinessSpanish.com
