Tips on learning/understanding/memorizing Spanish?
The title says it all.
I really want to master this language. It's easier for me because I'm Filipino and many Filipino words came from Spanish and it makes pronunciations easier. I want to hear from you guys. Give me some tips on how to master this beautiful language in full detail.
¡Muchas gracias amigos!
P.S. For starters, I already have a Spanish keyboard layout on my computer.
6 Answers
Get a novel in Spanish, something that really captivates you, and start transcribing it to tagalog or English with the aid of a bilingual dictionary NOT a translator.
Write in Spanish, look for the words and translate to tagalog and compose in tagalog.
Speak out loud in Spanish what you interpreted.
Different people learn differently, so what works for one person may not work for another. This means you should try different approaches until you find one that works for you. Repetition with context works for many people--that is, learning phrases and sentences rather than isolated words.
I like to fold a paper in half and write Spanish words on the left, and the English translation on the right.. That way all of the words I need to learn are on one sheet..
To memorize, I learn the first word, then I go to the second... If I don't get the second word I look at it, and then start back at the first word... This way, I keep going over the words that I think I've memorized, and the repetition eventually solidifies the vocabulary...
I hope that makes sense. Because it's really helpful (for me!)
Mastering a language is more than just memorizing lists of words and phrases. That's only part of it. You really need to be exposed to how they are used in conversation. Read newspapers and books, watch movies and T V shows, listen to the radio and podcasts, and best of all, try to find someone to just talk to in Spanish. You can memorize an entire dictionary and still not be able to hold a conversation.
One thing I've been doing is writing down some spanish words about 2 pages long, then I write down the english beside it like I was doing a quizz, trying to recall from memory what I've learned. The ones I get wrong I focus on re learning til I get it right the next time on my quizz sheet.
Did you need to memorize something in school? If so, surely the teacher made you write it out longhand? I have memorized many poems (in English, and now I am starting on Spanish), and since I am a professional calligrapher, I tell you solemnly, one of the best methods of memorization is writing it out. It uses a lot of paper, but it works. Compose sentences and then write them out (and also what they mean). If you do it slowly and attentively, you will also improve your penmanship! 8-)
