Learning Spanish?...Have A Look At The Different Learning Methods Available
When you start learning Spanish you will notice there are many different learning methods to choose from. The key to keeping your learning fun and motivational is to find the best Spanish language resources for you.
Over the years I have tried quite a few and have come to know which methods suit me best. I have compiled a list to help you with this which can save valuable time and money!
There are a few points to take into consideration before choosing such as
- What is your preffered style of learning?
- Are you a complete beginner or further advanced?
- How much time do you have to devote to study?
- How much do you wish to spend?
- Are you learning with or teaching a child?
For a full overview of kids learning methods, Go To Fun Ways To Learn Spanish
- Books
- Audio
- DVD
- Combination Study Packs
- Subliminally Learn Spanish
- Sleep Learning
- Private Tuition
- Spanish Magazines
- Spanish Radio
- Online Lessons
Books
Good old fashioned books, what can I say? Great for reference and learning the basic structure of the language. When I began I bought tons and tons of books, on grammar, verbs, exercises, exam papers and vocabulary. My house is bursting at the seams with them at the moment! They helped me enormously in my early days of learning, and still do. Now and again I go back and re do exercises to keep things fresh in my mind, especially grammar.
For Kids, books are one of the great learning Spanish resources available. There is a huge variety of bilingual and dual language books available. Great for bedtime stories!
Audio
Using audio is one of the Spanish language tools which is so versatile. It can be listening to an audio CD, an MP3 download, old fashioned tapes, using online chat services or talking face to face with someone else. When learning Spanish it is important to master pronunciation, (think of the difference between European and Latin American Spanish), all in the pronunciation! The versatility is in the benefit of listening on the go.
For Kids, audio is a good way to introduce stories, songs and rhymes in the language and inject fun and humour into learning.
DVD
Using DVD as a tool is great for listening to the spoken language. I try to watch movies in Spanish to help tune my ear in. In the beginning I could only hear gobbledy gook and had subtitles turned on constantly but as you progress it will get easier, trust me! I also enjoy watching my little one's DVD's as there is a lot packed into them and they are a lot of fun.
For Kids, they just love watching DVD's don't they? There are fantastic DVD's available, whether specifically for learning or kids' favourites in Spanish. Things like Bob The Builder, Mickey Mouse and ScoobyDoo are now easily found and compliment learning Spanish beautifully.
Combination Study Packs
Study packs are helpful if you enjoy listening and putting into practice what you learn. Usually the packs comprise of an audio CD, work book and online links or a DVD. The BBC series Suenos do a good one which can be seen also on the British Learning Zone. Again, something I used early in my study. Local libraries are also a good source for this Spanish language learning resource.
For Kids, combination study packs are fantastic. Usually the courses come with DVD's and a book with the script. Speekee and Muzzy are good examples. For audio CD packs a CD and book usually come together giving both English and Spanish versions of the songs. Fun, fun fun!! My liitle boy loves them and they are great for teaching kids pronunciation.
Subliminally Learn Spanish
Subliminal learning has exploded onto the market over the last few years. With our ever increasing paced lifestyles it makes good sense to give this a go. It works by sublime messages being passed straigh to to our unconscious mind thereby giving us more information than normal. Definately worth trying!
For Kids, subliminal learning may be slightly difficult for young children as it does take perseverance however, Sleep Learning is something to explore. It is something I have tried myself.
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Sleep Learning
Sleep learning is another method for learning Spanish which I find useful. I have tested this on myself and my son and feel it has helped in our study. It did take a while for me to get used to listening to something as I was falling asleep but with perseverance I did manage it.
For Kids, I think it is a great idea. My little one, Lachlan listens to music every night as he is falling asleep and I began playing a particular CD regularly and to my astonishment he did begin to repeat what he was hearing in his sleep! How cool is that? Learning Spanish in his sleep!
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Private Tuition
Private tuition is an effective way of learning Spanish as the lessons are generally specific and tailored to your abilities. If you can find a tutor with whom there is rapport then all the better! Tuition can be one to one or in a class, such as night classes with fairly small numbers. Classes have the added benefit of meeting like-minded people and offer the opportunity to practice with fellow students.
I have, in the past used a private tutor for myself and my little one which was extremely useful as both were native Spanish speakers. Fees are normally by the hour and can vary in price and well worth the investment.
Spanish Magazines
Spanish magazines are a fantastic resource as you are kept up to date on social and cultural issues in Spain, able to listen to native Spaniards and read the written word. With the magazines it is normal to receive a CD of the text as well as a translation guide. A subscription based membership is usually paid once per month to receive regular magazines.
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Spanish Radio
Spanish Radio is something I love listening to while I am pottering at home. It is very useful for tuning the ear nto the language, I don't always know what is being said but I'm getting better...learning Spanish doesn't come overnight unfortunately! Due to the increased use of the internet it is very easy to tune in. Listen out for the British music played in abundance especially older stuff, brings back memories!
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Online Lessons
There are now a huge amount of lessons online for learning Spanish, some are free and some are incorporated into courses which will cost you money. The free essons are not designed to give as much as ones which are paid for but are a great help for beginners and for brushing up on grammar and vocabulary.
As time progresses I will be adding free on site lessons so please do check out the site on a regular basis. New content will be posted on Spanish blog
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