Self-studying Spanish can be a rewarding hobby.
The Spanish language is also a great addition to your resume. Learning Spanish will also come in handy when traveling. You can study the Spanish language on your own.
Here are some tips to help to start learning Spanish by yourself.
Set a study goal and time.
Any attempt requires a goal. Neither is learning Spanish. Persistence and goal setting aid language learners enormously, according to a University of Nebraska study. Setting goals requires specificity. It is helpful to study languages in stages.
For example, set a goal of knowing 500 vocabulary terms in 30 days. Once a goal is determined, the equation for success requires persistence.
An hour every day may be sufficient for you. However, if an hour isn’t feasible, consider two 30-minute sessions per day.
Grammar and vocabulary.
Self-studying Spanish can be difficult if you don’t know where to start. Start with grammar and vocabulary.
The recommended visual vocabulary is flashcards. Instead of words, you want graphics.
Using flashcards with simple words on the front and back teaches you to translate Spanish rather than internalize it.
Grammar is best to learn from a book. Unfortunately, it may take a few books to find the right one for you. Begin with Gabrielle Stobbe’s Just Enough Spanish Grammar Illustrated. It was an easy read to refresh grammar and learn Spanish grammar. Then go on to difficult grammar books. Buy grammar and sentence construction books. That will speed up verb conjugation.
Watch Spanish TV shows & movies.
Do you have Netflix? That’s a good start. Start with movies you know by heart, turn on the subtitles and set it up to Spanish or vice versa. It’s best to subscribe to a streaming service that offers bilingual TV shows and movies like Dish Latino TV. It will help you learn faster.
Speak to yourself.
The disadvantage of learning Spanish alone is the lack of feedback. You may feel overwhelmed and frustrated if you have never had a conversation.
It may seem silly, but there is a study that speaking to yourself will help to accelerate language learning. So first, talk to yourself. Next, put yourself in circumstances where you have to converse with others. Then, make sure you respond aloud so your thoughts and tongue are connected.
Use Spanish learning application.
Speaking Spanish is the most challenging part of self-study. Reading about Spanish pronunciation and how it varies from English is a good start.
Nobody is listening, so how will you know whether your pronunciation is good? Using an app like Speechling and other language learning apps will help you learn the correct pronunciation from a native language coach.
You can study Spanish on your own.
Remember that learning Spanish by yourself is a process. Persistence is the key to learning Spanish on your own. It’s not impossible. With the correct tools and a little extra drive, anyone can learn quickly.
