The Wrong Way to Learn Spanish?

[SpringBreeze]

When learning Spanish, is there a wrong way to do it?

Someone asked me this once, and I didn't have a good answer from him. I couldn't think of any wrong way. So, it got me wondering is there one...

[Bob]

I believe that the wrong way to learn Spanish is basically not including any of the following: reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

These four are the important things needed when learning a language. If you don't have any of them, you are headed in the wrong direction.

[MyDigitalpoint]

I believe the wrong way to do it is ignoring the grammar rules.

In Spanish there are words which meaning changes just by accentuating them or not, in example

Yo hallo (I find) and Él halló (he found)

However if you use "y" rather than "ll" -- both of which sound the same -- then you are using the verb "to have" instead which in Spanish is translate as either "tener" or "haber"

Yo hayo (I have) and Él hayó (he had)

[True2marie]

A wrong way to learn Spanish is by focusing on textbook-courses only.  You avoid learning slang and/or street language, so when speaking with an average Joe you use words unfamiliar to him.

To me, there has to be a fusion of both book knowledge, practice and one-on-one contact with native Spanish-speakers.

[Astdua]

The wrong way in my opinion is either focusing on proper grammar and structure too much, or focusing on casual conversation too much. In both cases you are missing out on something and your level of fluency will be deficient of progress. Basically if you put a guy who has been in Colombia for 5 years in-front of a textbook, he will be struggling, and if you put someone who has been reading too much Spanish in Colombia, he will again be struggling.

What I like to do is mix up grammar lessons with courses and conversing with native speakers to get a perfect blend.

[Lola]

I think the wrong way to learn Spanish is the way I learned in school. My twelve grade Spanish class was horrible. My teacher handed out worksheets. Most of those sheets were like the kind you get in preschool except in place of English words saying one pig or yellow crayon, there were Spanish words. We then were told where the English/Spanish dictionaries were on the bookshelf. We received a few grammar worksheets, but no training in hearing the words. It was a complete disgrace!

So, in saying all that, I think the best way to learn would be to go through all the ways there are. Tailor the learning to you and pick the best ways that help you with what you need from the language.

[SirTenenbaum]

Something that you definitely must incorporate into your learning if you want to achieve higher levels of proficiency is obtaining massive exposure to real use of the language (not just isolated textbook exercises). Acquiring a language is a slow process that takes thousands of hours of contact with the language through reading books, having conversations, reading news articles, watching TV programs, reading commercials, etc. Just doing textbook exercises doesn't cut it, since it's relatively little contact with the language. Textbook exercises can be helpful, but they are not nearly enough.

[Rosa]

I think the wrong way to learn Spanish is by putting all focus on literature only and not doing alot of oral communication. Also, learning the vocabularies but not practicing proper sentence structure could be a setback too.

[andre-nunes]

I believe that the wrong way to learn Spanish is basically not including any of the following: reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

These four are the important things needed when learning a language. If you don't have any of them, you are headed in the wrong direction.

Indeed this applies to any language learning, not only to Spanish. You need to learn and practice every aspect of the language to truly master it

[LivetoErr]

I believe the wrong way to learn Spanish is not immersing yourself into the language.

You can read all the books you want, listen to multiple audio tapes etc. but it never really prepares you for listening to a native Spanish person actually talk. I have a fairly decent Spanish vocabulary but as soon as a native speaker starts talking I'm lost. By the time I pick out the words I understand I've lost the whole context of what's being said.

You need to talk as much as humanly possible with someone who speaks the language. This allows you to pick up a lot more useful language. After all, it is how babies learn to speak their native tongue...

[rgaz83]

The wrong way to learn Spanish, or any language, is not to study at all. Or to study infrequently. If you do that, you'll never obtain fluency.

[Solirivera55]

We all have some different opinions. I am fluent in spanish. I am puertorican.I speak what you call the slang- language. Its almost like the wrong way to learn spanish as well as the ghetto way. If you want to speak spanish or learn I suggest learning the proper way. FROM spain. Latin spanish. Most of our words are the same but slightly different. !

[czarina84]

I don't think there's a "wrong way" to learn anything if it produces a good outcome.  If you find a method that works and you are learning the correct syntax, vocabulary, etc, go with it.  As long as you learn the language properly, do it.