The article below describes how to learn Spanish on your own,
How to Learn a Foreign Language Quickly On Your Own
Learning a language can be an exciting and immersive way to learn about a new culture. More often than not, however, the process can be frustrating, producing few results compared to the time, money, and effort invested. While learning may still require a great deal of work, here are some ways to learn a foreign language quickly and easily, keeping the process fun.
Consider Your Goals
Why are you studying the language? Does a friend speak it, or is it a classical language (Latin or Greek, for example) that will aid in other studies? There is a substantial difference between the skills required for simply reading and writing a language compared to engaging in conversation or translating for others. That difference will determine whether audio materials and face-to-face practice, on one hand, or grammar review and flashcard repetition, on the other, will be more appropriate.
Consider Your Learning Style
Do you do well with constant repetition by writing, or do flashcards work better? Recall from past courses if you learn better using an auditory, visual, or kinesthetic style. (Most people are a combination of all three). Also, many successful language learning software companies have capitalized on immersing the student in the language by only using the desired language to teach. This style best replicates the way children acquire language skills; rather than memorize countless lists of words, they see an object and associate it with a certain word. As a home-study modification, you may consider creating flashcards with a picture of the desired word (if the word is “cow,” a picture of a cow), and then on the back of the card, putting the word in that language (so for Kiswahili, “ngombe”). Thus, the process of translating the word into English (or any other native language) is entirely circumvented, and the object is immediately identified by its foreign name.
Materials
In order to master any language, or at least have a working or proficient knowledge base, there must be a source of information. This can be a language textbook, often in conjunction with a workbook, a dictionary, grammar dictionary, a conversation partner (whether online or otherwise), or visual and audio recordings. Much of what works best will again depend on your learning style and goals. By using several modalities on conjunction, you may find that all of your pertinent learning styles are being engaged.
Frequency of Use
The amount of time devoted to the language is almost always the leading factor in being able to speak it well. This is not a matter of the number of years you have been speaking, but rather how frequently you practice throughout the week. Dedication is key. Since learning requires material to be reconstructed, the frequency of recall is essential. Your abilities allotting twenty minutes every day will far outperform those of someone practicing in an hour block every three days. Retention of a new language requires constant practice, but that practice is more likely to become a fun routine if you see the progression that a quick lesson makes each day.
Hopefully these hints will help the organizational process for getting involved in learning a new language. As frustrating and slow-moving as the development of language skills may seem, frequent practice time and constant review will keep the skills fresh, and the positive reinforcement from good pacing will keep the endeavor exciting.