Studying Methods
Does anyone know any effective studying methods that could speed the learning process of Spanish? Or does anyone have suggestions on what I could do to improve my studying? Thank you for anything you can provide!
My Daily Studying includes: 1. Taking notes on verb tenses and practicing them. 2. I practice making my own sentences. 3. Giving myself quizzes on the vocab I already know. 4. Before I go to bed, I study more vocab.
5 Answers
Not that you aren't learning anything, but I consider that to be like advancing three steps and going back two. End result? Slllllloooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwww.
Read my blog instead and once you do let's talk on Skype. I hope to shake you up and start doing things the right way.
Hello, Mateo!
I think everyone learns differently, and what works well for one person may not work well for another. Here is what I feel speeds up my learning:
Actually, I just made this chart yesterday. About four months ago when I started my "language learning challenge", this is what I was pretty much doing, but I was less organized. I was also using Duolingo every day, and it really did help me a lot. I was quite surprised.
The translations: Almost like Chileno's method... What I do is find a text (in Spanish) that interests me, translate it to English, and then translate it back to Spanish. I learned about method from hyperpoliglot, Luca.
If you would like more information, have a look at these links:
Speaking: If you look at my chart, you will see that I list speaking at home as well as doing language exchanges. I am quite a shy person and speaking with others every day drains me a bit, so on the days I don't do languages exchanges I speak at home. Sometimes this could be finding a list of questions and answering them out loud, finding a topic and speaking about it or just talking with my kids.
There is another hyperpolyglot that I just admire, Benny Lewis. Every so often, he does language challenges where he tries to get a close to fluent in three months as possible. Normally he reaches a B1 level, which I think is pretty amazing. He keeps track of his progress by recording videos and uploading them to YouTube, which I also think can be helpful.
In this blog entry, you can read about what he does in a typical day of language learning.
Good luck and happy learning!
I don't think there's a magic bullet but what you're doing is a good start. One of the best things of course is being able to listen to native speakers use their language in context. But if you can't immerse yourself physically in a place where Spanish is spoken then movies or tv programs can be a good second option. Have you tried something like Mi Vida Loca?
The flash cards on this site can be a great help. New ones are being made all the time. Using the search feature will help you search through the sets according to a subject or theme of interest. You may also find that certain people make sets that fit your needs. You can access those from any set they have made or by going to their profile. You can also make your own card sets. That way you can select the words, phrases or conjugations you most need to study.
The very best way to learn a language (as long as it is not a dead language) is to go to a country where it is spoken. Using chileno's blog and skyping with him may be very helpful, too, because he is a native Spanish speaker and fluent in English. Reading from books can help you to read in another language and writing can help you write. The more fluent you become in speaking and understanding the language spoken to you, however, the more your ability in reading and writing will advance.
Of course you are very welcome to use this site and perhaps become a future resource.
