how can i accelerate my spanish learning process?
how can i accelerate my spanish learning process?
9 Answers
Go to a Spanish-speaking country.
There may be 'countless Spanish speaking folks' in the US, but you are not completely immersed in the language, you have the option of watching tv in English, listening to the radio in English, speaking to your neighbours in English. Also, how often do you speak - in Spanish - to these 'countless Spanish speaking folks'? If you went to a Spanish speaking country you would have to speak Spanish all day every day.
You can easily find a friendly, helpful bilingual tutor in your community to help you. It is so much easier to learn with someone who actually speaks the language everyday! I have a tutor and I only pay her $10 an hour. It has helped me tremendously. Good luck!
i'd reccomend working somewhere in the spanish speaking part of your community so you will have to communicate in spanish and you wont have to go to a different country
Thanks guys!!!
1) Get a bigger, better brain (or, at least, left hemisphere of the brain). 2) Increase your exposure to the language.
There are two aspects to learning a language: 1) understanding the mechanics (syntax) 2) Converting that understanding into habit (near automatic responses/productions).
The former can be worked out in a haphazard manner (deduced from many examples), which is the way children usually learn their native languages. This method produces good results but is not very efficient. The second is through a study of formal grammar. The advantage being that the material has (according to someone's lights) been organized for easier understanding. Some people object to this approach. They find it "dry" or "too theoretical" or they are simply impatient and wish to "get out there and speak". There are also those who feel insulted when it is brought to their attention that they don't even understand the syntax of their own languages.
An understanding of the syntax may be useful/essential for reading/writing (when there are no time constraints) but for conversation, one also need a great deal of practice. The purpose of the practice is to make language "semi-automatic". The time constraints of an actual conversation leave very little time for "planning" what one wants to say or "analyze" what someone else has said. If you need to "stop and think about it", you are probably in trouble. Fortunately, the vast majority of the things that you will hear (or want to say) are not especially original. They are things that you have heard/said before (although, perhaps, not to/from that particular person).
Time spent (not overall elapsed time but actual exposure) is the primary factor. If you spend an hour (or, even, two) per week in a "conversation" class and do no studying between classes, you can easily waste a dozen years with very little to show for it. Perhaps you are a high-school student and have Spanish class five days/week. Your class is only 50 minutes long; you are one of 20-30 students (with more than about 5-10 students, everyone is just wasting his time) so you have the teacher's attention (if you are aggressive) for about 2-3 minutes in the period. Obviously, you can (and should) listen to what other students say/are told but their concerns may not be the same as yours.
I have not done this myself, but going to a Spanish speaking country does sound like a good idea and I have heard stories about it helping your Spanish a lot.
Just keep practicing! 
I'd recommend finding an audio source for grammer drills. It's amazing how much time you have either while commuting to work, shopping, cleaning the house and so on when you may as well be learning. I used Platiquemos but I beleive you can get similar exercizes for free on the Foreign Service institute (US government agenccy) website.
why spanish -speaking country, when we have countless of spanish speaking folks here in US?
