How to teach yourself Spanish? I thought downloading a single language learning app & learning a few words daily would be enough to learn Spanish when I first decided to learn it. I now have a very different way of thinking after spending 2 years learning.
How to Teach Yourself Spanish?
Thoughts were coming regularly like how to teach myself Spanish then I tried free apps, paid courses, language exchanges, private lessons, videos, books, flashcards, and other Ai tools during my learning journey. Although some were really rewarding for real progress, others only ate up my time.
I learned that there’s no universal path for everyone. You must find an interesting routine while giving time to read, listen, speak, and use Spanish in the real world. I’ll today share top tips to learn Spanish effectively without wasting time finding the right path.
1. Make Spanish Part of Your Daily Routine
If you are also looking for How to teach yourself Spanish then the best way to achieve your goal is consistency instead of spending hours studying.
I therefore started bringing Spanish into my daily routine. I watched Spanish videos, listened to Spanish music, read simple content, and used Spanish whenever I found a chance.
15 to 30 minutes’ practice may be helpful when you do it consistently.
Apps are also helpful for practicing in a busy daily schedule. Duolingo especially helped me stay invested in my learning journey because it offers its game-like approach. I also realized that an app would not be enough to learn everything I wanted.
2. Start With the Most Useful Words
Listening to many vocabulary words at once was one of my biggest mistakes.
I instead found concentrating on common words & daily expressions more useful than exploring everything together. Although words like el, la, con, and por might not seem interesting, they come up frequently in Spanish.
It is helpful to build a base that you can use in different situations easily.
I also found that learning a complete sentence was more useful compared to memorizing isolated words. It becomes easier to learn the working process of words after you learn a phrase in the exact context.
3. Find Out How You Learn Best
Every person has their own learning pace.
I discovered that I’m a visual learner after spending a few weeks learning. It was more helpful for me to see a Spanish word written down and understand its spelling than to only hear it.
That’s what changed my learning routine. I therefore started using g Spanish books, written exercises, notes, and workbooks with the listening practice.
This is why there’s no need to force yourself into someone’s recommendations. You should instead try to find your comfort zone where you can learn easily.
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4. Start Speaking Before You Feel Ready
I used to think that I should learn more Spanish words before really starting to speak Spanish in the real world. It really kept me away from speaking in the real world for a very long time.
Language exchanges are a useful free option. You can find Spanish speakers who want to practice your local language and divide the conversation between both languages.
italki and LiveLingua are examples of top platforms where you can find native speakers. Other tutoring platforms also offer speaking with native speakers.
The first conversation may indeed feel awkward. You may forget words, make grammar mistakes, and sometimes have no idea about what another person is asking or saying. That’s completely normal.
Regular practice will help you improve your speaking skills.
5. Use Spanish in Real Situations
The biggest change in my learning experience happened when I stopped considering Spanish as something I was studying.
Simple vocabulary can be converted into something special if you use Spanish while asking questions, chatting with people, reading signs, sending messages, or watching Spanish content.
You must also try using Spanish even when the other person understands English in a Spanish-speaking country. Someone may reply to you in English if they notice your mistakes. You may even forget a word you remembered 5 minutes earlier. This is a part of the learning process.
It would help you understand Spanish more deeply if you use for even a small interaction.
6. Use Different Tools Instead of Depending on One App
I also noticed that there’s no single app to learn Spanish completely.
Although a daily speaking practice can be developed using a single app, it isn’t enough for real conversation practice. A tutor similarly helped me speak. But I also need to study from lessons.
I also found SpanishDict useful for checking a word quickly. It also offers definitions, pronunciation, examples, grammar explanations, etc. Coffee Break Spanish also helped me with listening practice because its activities can easily fit into my busy schedule.
Speak also made my speaking practice more useful recently because it encourages me to say vocabulary aloud and practice sentences in different situations.
There’s no need to collect dozens of apps together. You should only find some useful tools for different parts of learning.
7. Make Learning Fun
There’s no need to push yourself to keep studying even when you find it boring. Just stop studying when you feel it is becoming boring.
I started finding content that I really enjoyed instead of keeping myself invested in studying.
You can start watching Spanish movies, listening to Spanish songs, and even reading Spanish books based on your interests. Even watching or listening to Spanish content offers exposure to pronunciation, vocabulary, expressions, and sentence patterns.
8. Don’t Expect Overnight Results
I experienced frustration after watching videos claiming that they learned Spanish in a few weeks.
Real learning takes much longer compared to those viral claims. I sometimes felt that I was learning Spanish quickly & reach a harder stage and suddenly felt like I was getting worse.
I therefore realized that it was a part of the learning process. So I stopped expecting faster results.
FAQs on How to teach yourself Spanish
How to teach myself spanish? Can I?
Yes, the combination of books, videos, courses, apps, and speaking can help you become comfortable in it.
How long does it take to learn Spanish?
Although consistent daily practice can develop basic conversational ability within a few months, a much longer time may be required to reach a higher level.
What is the best free way to learn Spanish?
There’s no single free resource for learning everything. Free apps, SpanishDict, YouTube lessons, language exchanges, etc are useful for learning routine.
Conclusion
After reading this post on “How to teach yourself Spanish”, where I have shared my experience and guides based on how I taught myself Spanish using different apps and strategies, I no longer believe there’s no perfect way to learn Spanish after two years. Free apps, paid apps, tutors, books, music, videos, flashcards, and language exchanges can be used together.
But consistency plays an important role compared to using these resources.