how can a non native speaker improve a lot?

Question

how can a non native speaker improve reading, listening, writing and speaking?

Answer 1

How can a non native speaker improve a lot?

Ask yourself: why are you learning Spanish?

You want to be able to read, write, listen, and engage in conversations all in Spanish, right?

If you like music, you can listen to songs in Spanish. Reading Spanish stories helps a LOT. I would also suggest writing Spanish essays and papers. Watching Spanish videos is great for learning Spanish too.

My favorite:

Get out there and start speaking Spanish. Don't be afraid. You have to start TALKING. Remember everything you have practiced and give it your best shot. You will get the hang of it and IT WILL BE FUN!

Answer 2

By reading, listening, writing and speaking. There's no substitute for practice.

There's a famous bike racer named Eddy Merckx. He was the best rider of his time, probably the best up until his time. A reporter once asked him the secret to being a great bike racer. His answer was, "Ride lots."

Hey, I was going to say that! - pesta, Jul 3, 2011

Answer 3

I would suggest three things: watch Spanish language television (with AND without captions turned on), speak Spanish with someone who is fluent at every opportunity, and use recordings of yourself speaking Spanish to try to influence your own pronunciation.

Realize that the staccato sound of Spanish is due to its vowels not being spoken as diphthongs; every vowel...even in the middle of a word...is stopped in the throat. At first you might exaggerate the stops, but listen to how subtle they are in a native speaker's enunciation.

Hmm. Not so. Many vowels are pronounced as dipthongs. You have to spell many words with an accent mark to prevent that from happening. Spanish is anything but staccato. - KevinB, Jul 3, 2011

I second Kevin's comment. I didn't even know what a dipthong was until I studied Spanish. - Charlius, Jul 3, 2011