Human beings have the innate ability to acquire language. You are living proof, since you already learned to speak at least one language if you are reading this text.
In you lies the ability to learn Spanish, even if you tried and failed in the past. If you took Spanish classes in the past and struggled, a change in approach may be just the thing you need to right the ship.
What is the Right Way to Learn Spanish?
Students often ask me what they can do outside of the classroom to achieve fluency in Spanish. My answer is always the same: spend quality time in the language every day.
That could mean reading books for learners or listening to music in Spanish on YouTube while trying to figure out the lyrics. It could also be watching a movie you know well in English (or whatever your native language is) with the audio in Spanish. If you prefer to have subtitles, put them on in Spanish, since reading English will only make you more fluent in English. There are many possibilities here.
Whatever direction you choose, there is no shortcut to picking up a language and there is no substitute for quality time spent in Spanish.
How Much Time Should I Spend Learning Spanish Each Day?
I never tell students how much time they should spend on Spanish outside of class, because the answer to that question depends on the learner. In general, the more time you spend in the language, the faster you will build fluency.
That said, there may be a sweet spot for language acquisition, which is probably somewhere between 10 and 30 minutes per day. The effects of studying a little bit each day are cumulative and exponential. Studying for ten minutes per day for 50 consecutive days will yield far superior results than studying for an hour per day for just five days. The key to learning a language is consistency. If you can find a routine that works for you and stick to it, you will be far likelier to acquire Spanish.
What does a Spanish Learning routine look like?
When I learn a new language, I always use a routine. It lets me focus on the language itself, rather than what I should do to study. Your new Spanish learning routine might look something like this:
1. Do a 5-minute warm-up
You need a low-stress way to re-orient yourself in the language each day. In other words, this activity should prime your brain to start interacting in the language. Here are some ideas:
Duolingo*
Complete a grammar textbook activity (verb conjugation, complete the sentence, matching activities, multiple choice questions, etc.).
Flashcards
Listen to a song in Spanish
2. Read for 10 minutes in the language.
This can be in the form of a short story, a novel for learners, or an easy book written for native speakers. Non-fiction (newspaper articles, biographies, etc.) is also fine, but I find that harder to engage with when I’m a beginner in a language.
Read for comprehension and entertainment. If you’re not entertained, put whatever you’re reading down and pick up something that will keep your interest.
3. Interact with the language in some way.
Here are some simple ideas.
Write down any new words I read
Underline the subject in 10 sentences
Circle the action word (verb) in 10 sentences
Write a true/false quiz that you could give to a friend. Answer the questions to make sure you understand the questions you wrote.
Draw a picture that summarizes of what you read
Write a six sentence summary of what you said
Bonus for advanced learners: tell someone what you read about
And that’s it. You read and interacted with the language, and that’s enough to put yourself on the path toward fluency.
As mentioned earlier, the key is consistency. Whatever routine you come up with, stick to it. Be relentless. Do it every day, without exception.
“The key to learning Spanish, therefore, is consistency. If you can find a routine that works for you and stick to it, you will be far likelier to acquire Spanish. ”
I know that it’s easy for life to get in the way. If you miss one day, be sure to get back to at it the next. If you skip two days in a row, and you will have started a ‘not-studying-Spanish’ streak, and the inertia of not studying Spanish will be difficult to overcome.
* I like using the mean-spirited bird, but it does get tedious. The sentences are often disjointed and lack the context necessary for me to stay engaged. It is a well-designed app and is a useful tool, but once the novelty of Duolingo wears off, your desire to use the app will too. It’s designed to be an addicting phone game and, after a while, you stop mentally processing the language. For me it has become a compulsion, and compulsively taping your phone to put the words in the right order has diminishing returns. If you ever reach this stage, it’s time to find something more interesting.
Keep Track of Your Streak
I’ve heard it said that “What gets measured, gets managed”, so you should also measure your consistency by keeping track of your study streak. For example, put a big red dot on your calendar for each day you successfully complete your Spanish learning routine. This is a simple way of measuring how consistent you have been on your quest for fluency. The inertia of a streak will make it easier for you to stick to your routine; you won’t like to see a broken chain on your wall calendar.
Marking your streak on a calendar will also help you find little wins to celebrate along the way. Did you complete your learning routine each day for a month? Treat Yo Self. Do you have a streak of 50, 100, or 200 days? Treat Yo Self. Have you been at it for more than a year without stopping? Treat Yo Self. Don’t stop. Keep doing your routine until you speak Spanish as fluently as you would like. Learning Spanish will require serious work and dedication. Don’t forget to celebrate the little wins.
Now stop reading this and start reading some Spanish. You got this.
