Hi yall, So I'm getting out of the Army in two years and my goal is to learn a language by the time I leave. Spanish seemed like the logical choice since I took it all through high school and one semester of college. Anyhow, does any one have advice for me on learning a language? Tips/ strategies and so forth? Would love to hear some ideas from folks who've done it before !!
I have a few tips, though it's not really for Spanish specifically- maybe just language in general. I remember one of my language teachers in the past saying that when learning a language, try not to use/depend on your first language in reference to learning the other one. For example if we're too used to translating the language we're learning into our first language whenever we read something in (for example) Spanish, and too used to writing in the language we're learning by first "writing" it out in our first language in our heads, we're still primarily using our first language as basis. (Or maybe not even first, just our more fluent one) As time passes try to think in Spanish (or any language you're learning) as you're reading and writing, try to come from a Spanish standpoint rather than always relying on translating back and forth. In doing that we're actually utilizing the language we're learning in our minds as the foundation, rather than springboarding off a language we're already very fluent in. When writing definitions for words, try not to write it in your most fluent language. Write the definition in the language you're learning, if possible. Also, I would learn more colloquial terms as well as basics such as numbers, directions, food, basic nouns. I spent a few years learning French and although it was useful to be able to count to twenty or learn how to say 10 different foods in French, actually conversing or writing my thoughts meant less listing of nouns, more fluency in speech. Try and write a few sentences regularly, and if you want to express yourself, try and do so in the language you're learning too- even if it's as simple as "I had coffee this morning." Another tip/technique I picked up was if you don't know a certain word or if there's a word/grammar rule/character (this refers to when I was practicing Chinese) that you keep getting wrong, check it up, and copy the correct form down a few times immediately. Going over the stuff you keep tripping up is great to get better faster. Your mistakes can be your best friends and best teachers. Read more in the language you're learning. Reading is probably one of the most fundamental ways to learn language, and it's personally one of the most useful ways for me. Simple stuff like short stories, newspapers, even children's books at first. It might be really slow and akin to walking through quicksand at first if you're not too fluent yet, but it's worth it and you'll get faster over time. And it leads right into writing better and conversing better. Lastly, there are a lot of websites and apps out there that teach languages, some of them in very creative ways. You should find what works best for you, whether that be learning vocabulary dead-on, or playing games, or listening to audio recordings. Everyone learns language differently. Best of luck and I hope Spanish goes well for you.
You have to put a good portion of your life into the target language, by which I mean if you're learning Spanish for the sake of learning Spanish, it will never be very authentic. You need to have a reason to use it outwith the love of learning languages - as part of your job, hobbies, social circle, daily routine etc. It's as daunting as it sounds but it's completely achievable.
I guess watch lots of movies. It's pretty much how I've learnt some English, despite the fact that my language doesn't even use the Latin alphabet - let alone being somehow related to English. I'm also planning to learn some of the following languages that way: Italian, Latin, Hebrew, Japanese. Only problem is - only Japan produces enough movies and yeah maybe Italy. But with Latin/Hebrew I'd be in "trouble". Also, another advice: maybe start with the most common words? Like...google: "most common spanish words". When you memorize 1000 of them and learn some grammar, guess you'd speak as good as someone who is learning the language from courses for 12 months. And in your case it will take you 2 months maybe. ^ Just a theory though.
That's actually what I plan on doing, so I'm glad somebody else says it works! After I get through the textbook I'm using now, making sure I remember all the basic grammar and conjugation, I'll learn the 1000 most common Spanish words and read a book called "501 most common Spanish verbs". Combine that with lots of watching Spanish tv and speaking the language as much as possible, there should definitely be some noted improvement. Really appreciate all yalls input.
Yeah...it should work. My language for instance is a Slavic one(slightly related to Russian) and I don't think I've ever struggled with English grammar, learning the words was the longest part though. I'd say it took me 1+ years till I started "encountering" and understanding words like objects/items: fork, fence, shovel. But I was able to speak easily with foreigners in English despite that, since common sentences like "I've been to Italy, the music, the food and the girls are cool" - are the first you'd learn this way. Also, another thing that confirms this way: I know this guy who is fluent in German and prior to immigrating to Germany he learnt it exclusively from watching German TV shows.
Yeah bro, I know some people like that too. A guy I grew up with in Michigan was adopted from Ukraine, came to US speaking zero English whatsoever. Within a year you could have a full conversation with him. Only explanation is that he was so exposed in English that he had he naturally started picking it up. There is certainly something to be said about language immersion, whether that's self-induced or environmental.
Immersion, immersion, immersion. Immerse yourself in the langauge. Read books, watch films, chat on forums in the target language. Have a dictionary close at hand, in case there's a word you don't understand, but don't rely on it and always try to figure it out from context. If you have Netflix, watch some of their original TV shows (Sense8 is amazing and what I watched on French) as they all have English, French, Spanish and German available for audio and subtitles. This will help you get used to the sounds of the language, and enjoy some good telly
