6/10 ways to learn Spanish - Speak
Some people are lucky. They get forced to learn a language at school (quite often English if they’re from a non-English speaking country) and before they know it they’re fluent and happily chatting to locals like they were born in the place. If, like me, you were never properly persuaded to learn a language at school it becomes a lot trickier. I learned Swedish and lived in Sweden for a while and I’m currently working my way through Spanish for Latin America, but its not easy. The following are some guidelines for people who want to pick up their first foreign language.
6. Speak
Knowing how to conjugate a verb or the word for toothbrush is one thing but you need to be speaking the language. If you’re going to school make friends with people in your class and if you’re all really keen you can try to stick to your chosen tongue whenever you meet up. Arrange a coffee morning and sit around chatting in your chosen language. Invite some native speakers to hang out if any of you know some and even if you’re not talking you’re still learning.
If you have friends a country of your chosen language give them a call and get them talking. International communications are incredibly cheap now. If they don’t have time but have children get yourself a Skype account and see if you can sit playing games across the Internet while speaking in the foreign tongue. Children are great at teaching languages since they won’t judge you and you can just have fun.
If you’re in a western country you might be able to find someone in a poorer country who you can call for conversation for a very cheap hourly rate. Skype calls are only pennies to other countries and computer to computer is free. Get them to get a PayPal account and you can get a native speaker to practice with one on one for a fraction of what you’ll pay in the west.
