When mastering the Spanish language, it's important that you learn conversational Spanish, instead of just focusing on memorizing grammar, verb conjugation, and vocabulary words, a mistake that a lot of people make. This article is going to present to you the top 5 ways to improve your spoken Spanish.
1. Go Where the Spanish Speakers Are
No, I'm not suggesting that you head off to Spain or South America; if you had the time and resources for that, you'd probably already be there. I'm talking about something much easier and more accessible. I'm talking about going where the native Spanish-speaking people in your city are. The best places are restaurants. For example, if you go to an authentic Mexican restaurant (skip the big chains) the wait staff will more than likely be Spanish speakers. You can practice greetings, introductions, ordering food, and, if you go when it's not too busy, you can even sneak in some general conversation practice. Don't stop at restaurants, though. Visit all the local shops, and do business with them as much as possible.
2. Find Spanish Cultural Exchange Groups
These groups are extremely popular and easy to find, and I have been to many myself. The meetings are usually held in coffee shops or other small cafes. The purpose, as the name implies, is to exchange cultural information, including language. What you want to find, for example, is a group called, "Spanish Corner," or something like that. The focus of the group will be to practice the Spanish language and to discuss Spanish culture, or, if in the United States, a nearby Hispanic culture.
3. Visit Sites like MeetUp.com
MeetUp.com is a website where people post meet-ups for just about anything you can imagine, from language learning to playing marbles. What you want to do is combine two activities, one of your hobbies and Learning Spanish. For example, some time ago, I needed to learn the Korean language (I was moving to Korea). My favorite thing in the world is eating, so I went to a meet-up site and did a search for "learn Korean food," and I found a wonderful Korean language exchange group that had each meeting in a different Korean restaurant. It was great!
4. Get a Personal Language Exchange Partner
You want to learn Spanish, right? Well, lucky for you, there are lots of Spanish speakers who want to learn English. There is no need for either of you to hire private tutors or pay for expensive classes when you can just teach each other; the barter system is alive and well! I have done many of these language exchanges, so let me give you an important tip--be disciplined. When you meet with your language exchange partner it's easy to become friends and then just start hanging out, not studying at all. Make a time to study and a time to play and don't deviate from the plan.
5. Get a Good Spanish Language Software Program
Up to this point, all of my suggestions have had two things in common. They are all free, for the most part, and they are all done outside of your home. For many, however, time is short, and studying at home is necessary. If that is the case for you, get a hold of some Spanish language learning software. Today's software programs are well designed, fun to use, and they are a very interactive and effective way to improve your conversational Spanish. In addition, they are very affordable and oftentimes include access to native Spanish speakers online. Just find one that looks good and sign up for a free trial.
Final Thoughts
Many people find it difficult to learn conversational Spanish, mostly because they don't know where to find speaking partners. This is not you! You've got 5 great ways to find conversation partners, so get out there and start speaking!
Best of luck in this and all of your future learning endeavors.
Author Resource:
Don't buy Spanish learning software, not until you've read my Rocket Spanish Review . Read it now!
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