Learn new vacabularies tips
Hello everyone! I just started learning spanish for few months now and I'm struggling with the vocabularies. I come from Indonesia and it's difficult to find native speakers or spanish classes. Hence, the vocabularies I have known are not much used and sometimes I just forget them.
Do you have any tips on how to use them everyday, or is there any website that allow me to meet native speakers? Also, do you have any other tips?
Thanks in advance. and have a nice day 
4 Answers
I do not know how much you know. I read articles on the internet - often in blogs or newspapers. I also listen to lots of music which is good for the rhythm of the language.
I know a lot of vocabulary so am not now learning volume.
Some tips
I find there is a benefit in actually writing a word down. In fact I prefer to write a phrase. I have a small book where I write things down alphabetically. I also have various word documents where I have typed vocabulary. Read whatever you have written every day [out loud if possible] and if you have a teacher or a native speaker to chat to try to use some of the words in a sentence. You will find after about 10 times it will have stuck.
When you are new to building your vocabulary be selective with the words you try to learn. You may look a word up out of interest but know it is not a word you will need. If it sticks because it is unusual or you like the sound great but keep your energies for all the vocabulary you need.
Wen I say learn phrases you could learn 'the new blue car' as a phrase then you can picture the car and the colour and its state and learn 3 words plus understand that while in Spanish adjectives go after the noun, the word nuevo [new] changes its meaning if it is used before the noun.
Try to learn some connectors as that is how you build sentences.
I have often suggested Veintemundos
It is a free electronic magazine which grades articles from A1 [complete beginner] to C2 [fluent] It also has various learning tools. It can be used as English/Spanish German/Spanish or French/Spanish You receive it by email but you can look up all the articles online.
Vertaal is a Dutch site which has various exercises including some based on the news on rtve. There is a version in English. The tests have the answers
Another helpful site is
they have a section of vocabulary and importantly audio information. The material is graded from A upwards.
I like the podcasts at Notes in Spanish which also has a blog and notes on various verbs etc under free report
and
I have often replied to questions about learning Spanish if you check back.
In the end you need to be motivated and interested. Some people learn better visually eg picturing words others are better at listening. I respond to physically writing things down as set out by Daniela.
Do try and say things out loud as you are trying to get your brain ears and mouth used to new sounds.
I write down the Spanish words that I don't know. If it's from a book or printed matter, I also take note of the source and page number. When my list gets long enough (when I feel like it), I look them up. First I use the DRAE and then SD. if need be, I use other references (word reference, lingüe, etc.As I find the definitions, I write complete sentences using those words. I then use any synonyms that I can think of and rewrite the sentences. I use MS Word® and then save everything to a file called....Tadá!..."Vocabulario". I find this helps tremendously to anchor those words in my skull.
Although learning vocabulary in context with a native speaker is the best, there is a way that I use. I call it a "hard-nosed" rote learning method that works when nothing else is available.
First of all you take a sheet of paper and vertically fold it in half. On the left side of the fold, you write a list of the Spanish words that you want to learn--about 25 or so to start with.
On the right hand side of the page you write the corresponding meanings in your native language.
The next thing you do is to fold the paper so that you cant see the list in your native language,--just the Spanish. Go down the list of Spanish words saying them then saying the equivalent. This is the easy part.
Now for the more difficult, but most important part. Look at your list of words in your language and say the Spanish.
Now of course you will be flipping your paper back and forth as you learn the words. Just keep up the process, until you can look at the list that's in your language and and quickly say the Spanish without pausing.
Some people buy small index-size cards and write the Spanish on one side and your native language on the other. It works just as well, but is more expensive.
When I am involved in language learning I always carry my vocabulary sheets with me. They are convenient - I can stuff them in a pocket and pull them out whenever I have a few minutes.
Buena suerte.
I wrote an information how to increase language proficiency 3 months ago. Look for my username, NKM1974, and read, if you are interested. Here's the link: ?Celebrating a man "2wired" to quit learning ! ?Welcome ? 2wired to SD's Millionaire club!
