Imagine the scene, you have just purchased
Rocket Spanish or Learning Spanish Like Crazy.
You eagerly open the packaging; cast aside the
wrapping and dream of the new life you’ve just invested in!
Even now, you can feel the sun on your back, taste the sangria
and hear the sounds of the mariachi strumming strains of Spanish
flamenco whilst the waves break idly onto the shore.
You look behind; there perched just on the top of the hill is the
house of your dreams. Your Casablanca!
Then your peaceful reverie is broken by the strident sounds of the
present reality in which you live. You wake up! You really can smell
the coffee; it’s on the table in front of you!
Not only have you never been to Spain, or any other Latin
American country but your dream of learning Spanish as you
travel in some far flung clime, seems a whole other lifetime away Spanish radio stations.
The stark reality for you is probably somewhat different, maybe
you’re stuck in a nine to five job (which you no doubt love:don’t you!),
with a wife/husband at home, lovely kids, a mortgage, credit card
debt, auto repayments you’re struggling to make, as well as a whole
load of other ties to your home situation.
Yes, it’s a fantastic idea, but the reality is, for most, not a very
practical one.
For you, the only possibility of immersing yourself in the language
and culture of a Spanish-speaking country is when you’re eating
tacos or burritos with a cheap bottle of Spanish red in the backyard.
Or is it?
Cheer up! Put the pills back in the bottle and do yourself no harm,
there is an answer. You are not alone. Most people undertaking
quick Spanish learning courses feel exactly the same at some point.
Hopefully, this article will help you to start off on the right track
to successful Spanish learning.
One of the biggest setbacks to people learning to speak Spanish
effectively is a lack of cultural context.
However good the Spanish course, there can be no substitute for
actually living in a Spanish-speaking environment.
So the easy answer to learning Spanish is:
Below are a couple of questions you might consider.
In case I forgot to mention it. This is a test! A really easy test.
Don’t panic! The correct answer before we start is ‘C.’
So, in order to learn Spanish effectively and quickly we should:
A. Forget about the language course, re-wrap it, return it back
to the vendor and request a refund?
B. Leave the family, pets, mortgage, credit card bills and car.
Get on the earliest plane to a Spanish-speaking country, preferably
one that has plenty of beaches, where you can sit, sipping sangria
all day and into the night, immersing yourself into the culture of
wherever your plane landed, and so live happily ever after?
C. Find some other alternative to reproduce the effects of
language learning immersion techniques. These must be readily
accessible to you in your current situation?
As previously revealed the answer is C.
I told you it was easy.
All teachers of language, myself included, will agree the ideal
is to learn Spanish, or any other language for that matter, whilst
living in a Spanish speaking country or culture.
But you probably have to face stark reality; life is not quite
that simple. Unless you happen to be an undergraduate;
an extremely wealthy businessmen or a single,
unattached person; the chances of breaking out are slim.
So how do you overcome the difficulties of learning a language
without leaving the country?
Here Are Your Sure-fire Secrets to Help You Accelerate Your
Learning in this Situation.
Recognize that there are ways to help yourself right where you live.
Wherever you live, in the 21st century, you will find that immigration
and travel have led to almost every country, in every large city, in
almost every small town having Spanish-speaking groups within them.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to locate them.
To do this, you can:
SECRET 1.
Locate Spanish Groups Near You.
a. Either do an Internet search for Spanish or Latin American Spanish
groups in your area.
b. Research the local Yellow Pages or telephone directories.
Once you’ve located these groups, you have unearthed a
valuable resource for rapidly increasing your Spanish.
Spanish communities (as do other communities) tend to live together;
this is helpful in preserving their own cultural identity.
However, if you are friendly enough, and open as to why you want
to be involved in their lives, they may allow you into their cultural life. This is a massive bonus for you. Believe me! The area of culture cannot
be under stated if you are to gain fluency in Spanish.
SECRET 2.
Internet Chat Rooms:
These forums are excellent places, if you want to contact other
learners and experience language speakers. If you’re lucky enough
to find a native Spanish speaker, with a Webcam: and they are
prepared to help you, you’ve hit the jackpot!
So the Sixty Four Thousand Dollar question is how do I find the forums?
Good Question. Follow the simple instructions below.
In your Google search bar enter this search term: “forums+spanish”,
don’t forget to include the quotation marks around the search string.
Once you have located that the forum you particularly want: register,
start posting and become an active member.
You can conduct the same research as above, for blogs about Spain.
Type in, “blogs+Spanish”.
You will find the advice of users of these forums and blogs usually
helpful and concise. More importantly, if it is a non-subscription forum,
the help is free! That’s the word your pocket loves to hear. Free!
A word of warning – Don’t forget to observe the usual safety precautions
if you arrange a meeting with anybody that you have met online.
SECRET 3.
Use the Power of the Media.
Internet access; provides many opportunities for you to gain valuable
free resources that can quickly accelerate your immersion learning,
these are television and radio.
If you compare Rocket Spanish or Learning Spanish Like Crazy,
you will know that they take different approaches to the same area of learning the language. Rocket Spanish concentrates on a visual and auditoryexperience, whilst, Learning Spanish, Like Crazy tends to the audio capacities of the human brain. Your learning style is vital to choosing the right course for you.
The real advantage of radio and television from the Internet is the sheer variety available to anyone wanting to learn Spanish.
You can access Latin American Spanish and Castilian Spanish for free, which will enhance your learning of Spanish and the culture of Spain.