Most effective ways to learn Spanish...

[Welkom]

Hi, I'm currently looking into the possibility of studying an undergraduate degree in Spain in a year/two, so thought I should try to learn Spanish prior to going, if I were to. I'm wondering what are the best and most efficient ways of learning Spanish? Currently I'm using Duolingo and am enjoying it thus far, I have used it before to learn Dutch but got bored, I feel this was because I had no real target but a degree abroad motivates me. I'm at a beginner level at the moment.

Also, if anyone is from the UK and has studied in Spain I'd be very interested to hear what they have to say about it. Thanks!

[seankim]

Hey Welkom,

By far the fastest way to learn any language is through immersion.

You can either do this by going to a Spanish speaking country and making mistakes over and over again by putting yourself out there. By physically immersing yourself in the culture, people, signs, and of course the everyday conversation, you're forced to pick up the language very quickly.

Now, most of us do not have the luxury of picking up our bags and going to a new country right now to learn a language, due to jobs, lack of funding, the list goes on. And I understand you want to learn prior to going to Spain.

Another alternative is to learn independently through apps, books, podcasts, but this is a very inefficient approach because it doesn't require you to actually speak. And we all know that the best way to learn is by doing.

As all of the top language learning experts recommend, the best and fastest way to learn how to speak a language is speaking with native speakers.

Because most of us don't have access to people around us who are native Spanish speakers, we created Rype. http://rypeapp.com

Rype is a platform where we personally matchmake you with a native speaking teacher through video chat to practice and receive immediate feedback to improve your Spanish speaking skills.

If you would like to try it out, we're providing a free 30-minute lesson for a limited time, and you can sign up here: http://rypeapp.com/

Let me know if you have any questions or thoughts on our vision for the future of language learning, by emailing me at [email protected].

[linguaholic]

Hey Welkom,

By far the fastest way to learn any language is through immersion.

You can either do this by going to a Spanish speaking country and making mistakes over and over again by putting yourself out there. By physically immersing yourself in the culture, people, signs, and of course the everyday conversation, you're forced to pick up the language very quickly.

Now, most of us do not have the luxury of picking up our bags and going to a new country right now to learn a language, due to jobs, lack of funding, the list goes on. And I understand you want to learn prior to going to Spain.

Another alternative is to learn independently through apps, books, podcasts, but this is a very inefficient approach because it doesn't require you to actually speak. And we all know that the best way to learn is by doing.

Agreed. Immersion is the best thing you can do. However, as seankim mentioned, not everyone has the opportunity to do so.

[Welkom]

Thanks seankim and linguaholic. Yeah, I'm looking to learn it prior to going and can't really afford to go there beforehand for an extended period, I'll give Rype a try! Would you be able to tell me how much it is once I've used my free 30-minute lesson? I can't seem to find it on the website. I was also going to ask, what are good TV programmes/radio stations/music albums to listen to in order to progress my learning? I'm just gathering the basics together at the moment so am listening to artists with clear pronunciation, like Enrique Iglesias. I considered listening to some rap, but wasn't sure if this would work because in English rappers adjust pronunciation slightly to make things rhyme sometimes.

Any more suggestions are very welcome, thanks!

[spanglish1205]

Hi Welkdom, I use Italki http://www.italki.com/?ref=1555469. I guess its similar to Rype that the other user mentioned in that you connect with native speakers over Skype. Its a really simple payment and scheduling system. Along with Spanish theres like a 100 other languages and 1000+ teachers on the site. It definitely helped me move my Spanish along tremendously. 1hr lessons average around $10-12 so its pretty cost effective. Best of luck!

[Welkom]

Thanks Spanglish, I'll give it a try!

[spanglish1205]

No problem good luck!

[oschalaard]

I'm currently learning Spanish via italki, duolingo and on my own basically.

I also use YouTube, there are some great channels. I'm using this so far

Hispanic Inn - https://www.youtube.com/user/SpanishVidLessons/videos

Butterfly Spanish - https://www.youtube.com/user/ButterflySpanishola

[JMarie]

Hi Welkom,

I suggest studying using Pimsleur. It's super effective. :>

[Enrico]

After you are done with duolingo try listening to the mischel thomas spanish course then start watching english movies with spanish sub titles. Then move on and take it to another level by watching spanish movies with spanish subs then try watching a movie in another language like japanese but with spanish subs! I did these watching my favorite animes in youtube in japanese but with spanish subs. Of course the best way is thru actual immersion like travelling to spain and practicing with a native but it is not always possible for everyone.

[Mojitopalacio]

I think the most effective way to learn a language is by traveling where the language is spoken. Many companies offer travel holidays. I know Cactus Language which is an excellent and reliable agency for those interested in learning Spanish abroad. They offer courses in Spain, South America, and some Caribbean islands (Dominic Republic, Cuba) for every budget.

Meanwhile, you can watch Spanish video online on website such as Rtve, I've been practising my Spanish watching good Latin series.

[missbookworm]

You can find a lot of references in learning Spanish online. I am pretty sure the internet would be of great help to you when it comes to that since it is the best source of any kind of information in the world. Also, watch Spanish movies as much as possible to get exposed to their language and their culture. Anyway, wishing you all the best!

[zurcminister]

Well the single most effective way to learn any language and not only Spanish is to go out and speak to a native speaker and even immerse yourself with the community where the language is largely spoken. This way, you will get to pick up good speaking practices and habits. Another good way is to observe speakers in the television or listening to radios using the language you wish to learn. This will really help and I hope it does for many people who are trying to learn new languages the world over.