As you are reading this article you are probably in a situation in which I once was. I was interested in to learning to speak Spanish principally because it sounded (and still does) a beautiful language when hearing native speakers. The language seemed to be accessible too as many words in Spanish sound similar to English words. I had also visited Spain and loved the country’s culture and history and wanted to know more. In linguistics there is a theory that our collective perception of the world, and therefore our cultural understanding, is shaped by our native language. If this is true, then the best way to learn about and understand a country and its people is to learn the language of that country.

My motive for learning to speak Spanish in earnest was a trip to travel South America I was planning. I wanted to teach English along the way to fund the whole jaunt, but felt I needed to be able to communicate a little before leaving. I decided to take some classes at night school before I set off and made a one year plan: I saved money and went all out to learn as much Spanish as possible. Unfortunately, I never made it to South America, but instead as I enjoyed the experience of learning to speak Spanish so much I decided to study it further at university.

Learn Spanish Words

Anyway… here is my first piece of advice. If you are learning to speak spanish you need to set goals and be realistic about the level you can attain over a given period of time. Much can be achieved in a relatively short timeframe (as in setting high targets to learn Spanish words), but do not believe that any system or learning program will teach you to speak any language fluently in a short space. How often have you heard the strapline "learning to speak Spanish? We can teach you in 2 months". The truth is you can achieve a lot in 2 months but it requires a good deal of effort and discipline…. and you will not be anywhere near native speaker level as some schemes imply.

If you want to learn quickly, I would say try to get some 1-on-1 lessons. You could either pay for these or you could maybe offer some language exchange with a native speaker… local schools or colleges may be able to help. Try to expose yourself to Spanish in any form: watch Spanish film or television programs if you can. Try listening to Spanish music and if you can pick up the lyrics/translations on the Internet you will be able to sing along!
Some audio/book programs (such as Rocket Spanish) are very useful, but as I say, set realistic targets and don’t believe the hype that publishers spout on front covers. I do not intend to be negative here, but I believe it is important to be realistic otherwise you can risk disappointment which makes it easier to give in when the going gets tough. Learning to speak Spanish can be a very rewarding thing to do, but if you want to become fluent it will take a lot of time and effort. Of course, if you just want to be able to communicate a little on your holidays to Spanish speaking countries, this can be achieved with not so much effort and dedication.

Words in Spanish

As with learning any language, learning Spanish grammar can be a little tricky, particularly as you reach more advanced levels, but anyone can learn words in Spanish. We learn and practice using words everyday in our own language. Consequently, try to learn Spanish words every week (set your own targets). Our Spanish vocabulary pages may be useful.

The best piece of advice I can give is stay with it when it gets tough as it is truly worth the effort: to be able to communicate with people in another language will literally open up a whole new world for you.