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If you are wondering what is the fastest way to learn Spanish I can tell you from experience that it is not by studying it in a classroom. Follow these tips to learn Spanish, one of the most popular and fastest growing world languages today.
The Key is to Immerse Yourself
Fully immersing yourself in the language is the fastest and easiest way to learn Spanish. Here are some ways to throw yourself into Spanish:
- Spend a significant time in a Spanish speaking country. By spending more than a few weeks in a Spanish speaking country you will be forced to learn the language at lightning speed. When you must speak it for survival sake – in order to get food, find a bathroom, find a place to spend the night, call a taxi, etc – you will pick up the language much faster than if you are studying it in a classroom.
- Take Spanish language classes while in a Spanish speaking country. You will be able to apply vocabulary, phrases and certain grammar structures you learn in class to every day situations, which will help to cement the language into your brain. In Spanish class you will focus more on the grammatical side of the language, which will aid you in obtaining your fluency. Remember however that grammar study is an addition. You will not master Spanish unless you also practice listening and speaking on a regular basis with native Spanish speakers.
- Spend time with native Spanish speakers. While in a Spanish speaking country avoid the places where tourists spend their time and surround yourself with the locals. One of the best ways to learn Spanish is by staying with a host family in a Spanish speaking country. If you cannot go to a Spanish speaking country, spend time with native Spanish speakers in your home community. You will soon begin to pick up on the things that they say, small phrases you don’t learn in Spanish class, and will have the chance to practice listening as well as speaking.
Immersion is Tried and Tested
I am a perfect testament to the fact that the fastest way to learn Spanish is by immersing yourself in it. I took 2 years of Spanish classes in high school, and 4 quarters of Spanish in college and still was not proficient enough to be able to properly communicate myself or understand native Spanish speakers. But after I immersed myself by studying abroad in Costa Rica for only 4 months while simultaneously staying with a host family and attending language school, I return to the US nearly fluent.
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