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How to Learn the Spanish Language

Some tips on language aquisition
http://esl.fis.edu/teachers/support/krashen.htm
Have you ever wondered how you will ever learn a foreign language? You've seen the Rosetta Stone ads and wonder why we do not just use Rosetta Stone at school if it's so great. Well, there are some people who actually do well with such programs, but most of us need human interaction to learn a language. You should not expect to be able to speak Spanish fluently after one or two years of high school Spanish. I will tell you that I had some students who were surprisingly successful in their language classes, but those are very few students. How did they do it? They thought all day long in Spanish and how to say everything in the language. They invested a lot of time and effort in their learning. Mastering a foreign language is just like anything else you try to master. How much time do you invest in playing video games, for example, to reach certain levels? I would guess hours and hours on a daily basis. In order to learn Spanish fast, you must immerse yourself in material in the language that is comprehensible to you (Stephen Krashen). If the material is totally over your head you will not learn. A great way to immerse yourself in the Spanish language is to watch telenovelas. They are so exaggerated with a lot of body language and context that you could probably understand what's going on even if you muted the show. If you watch a daily dose of telenovelas, taking notes of expressions you pick up from them and then actually use them in class or with native speakers, you will accelerate your language learning immensely. Sí, se puede. Give it a try!! Additionally, you need to find a "no English" partner. This could be a native speaker, the teacher, or a friend with whom you pledge to speak nothing but Spanish, using Google translate if necessary.
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  • Home
  • Our Story
  • How to learn the Spanish Language
  • Travel to Cuba
  • Music
  • Geography
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  • Famous Cubans
  • Cuban Cuisine
  • Useful links
  • Religion
  • Blog
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