Learn Spanish Online

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Apr 19, 2007, 5:36:35 AM4/19/07
to Teach and Learn Online
This article consists of six tips to help you learn Spanish online .
If you follow these six tips, you can be sure that you will learn to
speak Spanish online much easier.

Key Numero Uno to Learn Spanish Online:

"Stay motivated"

I think everyone that studies a foreign language will experience a
time when they are becoming less and less motivated. You may feel that
you are losing your desire to learn Spanish online around the same
time that you have reached a plateau.

If you feel that you are losing your desire to learn to speak Spanish
online, try planning a trip to a Spanish speaking country. Since you
will want to get the most out of your trip, this should motivate you
to study.
Here's another tip to help you stay motivated and to make you want to
learn to speak Spanish online. Find a native speaker that you are
romantically interested in. Since you will probably want to impress
him or her with your Spanish, this should motivate you to keep
studying and make you want to learn Spanish online. You will also
notice that you are making progress quicker by practicing your Spanish
with a native speaker and that should also motivate you to keep
studying and practicing Spanish.

Of course, this tip only applies to single people or other people
without a significant other.
Key Numero Dos to Learn to speak Spanish Online: "Don't Be Afraid of
Making Mistakes"

Make lots of mistakes. And then after you have made lots of mistakes
go make some more mistakes. And then go make some more mistakes.

Many people are afraid of making mistakes when learning Spanish
online. If you really want to learn to speak Spanish online, then you
have to accept the fact that making mistakes is part of the learning
process. The more mistakes you make, the quicker you learn to speak
Spanish online.

If you are not making mistakes, that's probably an indication that you
are not making the effort to learn Spanish online.

Some people will try to learn to speak Spanish online by ONLY
listening. Their reasoning is that once they learn enough Spanish
that's when they will begin trying to speak Spanish online. But I can
I assure you that it doesn't work that way. It works in reverse.

That is, once you start trying to speak Spanish and making mistakes
that's when you will begin to learn to speak Spanish online. Not the
other way around.

So go ahead and make mistakes. The mistakes aren't there to embarrass
you. The mistakes are there to help you master Spanish.

Key Numero Tres to Learn Spanish Online:

"Focus on how to speak Spanish" Don't focus on "why Spanish is Spoken
the way it is"
Many people have sent me emails with questions such as why is it "me
gusta" (I like) instead of "me gusto" or why is it "me toma" instead
of "me tomo"

Of course, I could easily answer these questions. (And I do) But the
objective is not to try equate everything in Spanish with English or
your native language.
Accept the fact that Spanish grammar is different from English
grammar. And focus on the objective of any language -- which is to
communicate effectively.
And in order to communicate effectively, you only need to understand
and be understood. It is not necessary that you understand each and
every grammatical facet.
Trying to do so will only hinder your learning and make it difficult
to learn Spanish online. Imagine trying to teach a 4 yr old the
definition of a direct pronoun vs. an indirect pronoun. We would never
attempt such a thing. But the 4yr old child is still fluent in his or
her native language.
So make your goal to understand and be understood. Focus on "how to
speak Spanish" Don't focus on "why Spanish is Spoken the way it is."
Key Numero Cuatro to Learn to Speak Spanish Online :
"Master the Fundamentals"
Many people spend their time learning a bunch of Spanish vocabulary
that they could go a life time and never use. That's because the words
are hardly used in normal everyday conversation.
If you want to learn to speak Spanish online without Wasting anytime,
I advise you to master the fundamentals. When I say the "fundamentals"
I am referring to the basic vocabulary and basic grammar.
I know adults that have studied Spanish for a few years and they know
thousands of words in Spanish. Although they may be proficient in
Spanish, I would not consider them fluent. On the other hand, a three
or four year old native Spanish-speaking child can speak Spanish
fluently. It is not because the child knows thousand of words in
Spanish. The child may only know about a thousand words or less in
Spanish. But the child has mastered the fundamentals.
Mastery of the fundamentals is what separates the proficient from the
fluent.
If you really want to learn to speak Spanish online make it a priority
to master the fundamentals.
Key Numero Cinco to Learn Spanish Online:
"Take Advantage of downtime"
Finding time to study can be a challenge. Many people just don't have
the time to sit down and study. But who said that you have to be
sitting down? If you are waiting in line at the bank or waiting at the
doctor's office, turn on your mp3 player or ipod and listen to an
audio Spanish lesson.
If you drive to work everyday, that's an excellent opportunity to
practice your favorite audio Spanish course. If you like to jog or
exercise on a stairmaster or treadmill, bring your mp3 player or ipod
with you and listen to your favorite audio Spanish course
Instead of watching the 10' clock News. Watch "Las Noticias" Instead
of watching a movie on HBO, watch a movie on HBO Latino.
So to those that say "I just don't have the time to learn Spanish
online." My response is that you can make excuses or you can learn to
speak Spanish online. But you can't do both. The choice is yours.
Key Numero Seis to Learn to speak Spanish Online:
"Become an Imitator"
Some Spanish courses do not put much emphasis on pronunciation. I
think that is a big mistake.
If you really want to be understood, you must try to mimic native
speakers.
Have you every experienced someone that asked you for directions or
some other question and you were unable to assist the person because
you didn't speak her language. And then you suddenly realized that the
person was actually speaking English but her accent was so thick that
you thought the person was speaking another language.
The same thing happens to Spanish ears. If you do not develop good
pronunciation, you will not be understand.
If you say the word "dad" in Spanish and you do not stress the
appropriate syllable, a native Spanish speaker may think that you are
talking about "french fries." To English ears the difference may be
very subtle. But to the Latin American its the difference between
"dad" and "potatoes".
So focus on mimicking native Spanish speakers.
I hope that you enjoyed these 6 Tips to Help You Learn Spanish Online
and that they truly help you in your journey to learn to speak Spanish
online.

http://speakfluentspanish.blogspot.com/

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