Most people in the United States know a little Spanish, even if it’s just the words in the English dictionary like “patio,” “salsa,” and “rodeo” that come from Spanish. But if you want to speak Spanish with confidence, you’ll need a little guidance. It takes more than a dictionary and 30-second videos to learn how to speak Spanish well.
A well-recognized Spanish program and method for learning Spanish will serve as an anchor for speaking with proficiency. Learning through Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion method helps you learn in an immersive Spanish environment with lessons that teach you the same way you learned your native language. We’ve come up with seven easy ways to speak Spanish more confidently.
Table of Contents
1. Choose your preferred Spanish dialect to refine your accent
When it comes to learning Spanish, you might want to think about what country or region you plan to interact with the most: Spain or Latin America. In general, all Spanish speakers can understand each other, but like most other languages, there are dialects that can vary considerably.
Spanish dialects are different based on things like accent, vocabulary, and grammar. Even in Latin America, there can be substantial variations in simple vocabulary. For example, in most of Mexico, a city bus is called an urbano, but in Mexico City it’s usually called a pesero. In Venezuela and several Caribbean countries, a bus is called a guagua, but in Spain, it’s usually called an autobús.
Fortunately, most Spanish speakers will understand the variety of vocabulary, especially now that local movies and television programs are available to an international audience, allowing for exposure to other dialects. As you decide your preferred method to learn how to speak Spanish, consider the options from Rosetta Stone. We offer Peninsular Spanish (from Spain) or Latin American Spanish, so you can choose the option that works best for you.
2. Get comfortable with various Spanish pronunciations
Spanish pronunciation is fairly straightforward and a lot less complex than English. As a rule, each letter has a single sound, but some letters are silent all the time, like the “h,” or some of the time, like the “u.” Spanish alphabet pronunciation is a great place to start if you want to learn how to pronounce the vowels.
Consonants are equally predictable but some pronunciation varies. Most notably, the “s,” “z,” and “ce / ci” sounds are often pronounced the same in Latin America. In English, they would sound like an “s” as in “star.” This is called the seseo.
In some parts of Spain, they use the ceceo, which means the aforementioned letters are often pronounced with a “th” sound. Other parts of Spain use the distinción (distinction) and pronounce the “s” sound as in English, but the “z” and “ce / ci” are pronounced with the “th” sound. But in some areas, like Andalucia, Spaniards use the seseo just like in Latin America.
All of this is to give you a sense of why choosing which kind of Spanish you want to study is helpful. These pronunciation differences get learned intuitively through listening and repeating. Learning with Rosetta Stone’s TruAccent is like carrying a teacher with you at all times because you’ll get immediate feedback on your pronunciation.
3. Practice reading Spanish out loud
If you want to speak a language, you need to practice out loud. Though it might seem a little strange, practicing by yourself at home is an easy way to train the muscles of your mouth to start moving in new ways.
Another option is to read some of the best Spanish books of all time, short stories, or beginner books. Even children’s books can be a useful place to start. Try setting a goal of reading 10 minutes out loud then slowly increase it over time.
Some of these books and short story collections are also available as audiobooks, so you can either read along or listen and try pronouncing the words as you hear them. It doesn’t matter if your Spanish reading isn’t perfect at first as long as you keep trying.
4. Improve your Spanish vocabulary and accent through music
To improve your speaking, it’s actually helpful to listen to a wide variety of media and music. Different genres, from newscasts to podcasts, have distinct types of vocabulary and tone. If you like music, we highly recommend listening to some of the best Spanish songs. Listen once for enjoyment. Listen again while reading the lyrics. Then listen a third time and sing along. Add the songs to a playlist to listen to each day.
Spanish podcasts can also help you to speak Spanish, and some are specifically geared toward language learners. Listening to specialized podcasts about a subject you’re familiar with can really help you learn how to speak Spanish quickly. You might also try listening to news broadcasts after reviewing the current news in English. This will help you focus on the words you know and where your knowledge gaps are.
5. Find conversation opportunities
Speaking with others, especially in an in-person conversation, is the most ideal experience because you can really hear tone and see expressions and gestures. Some cities have meet-and-greet conversation clubs that foster language exchange and reading. Local libraries may also have scheduled language events.
If they don’t, they might offer English conversation classes where you could ask if anyone would be interested in working together on language exchange. We recommend doing a language exchange for a maximum of 30 minutes in a quiet place at least weekly.
Talking on a video call is another method to expand your conversation skills, and you may find cultural organizations that support this kind of exchange. We also highly recommend getting involved in local cultural and business organizations, like the Hispanic Business Chamber of Commerce, related to your interests. Local consulates of Spanish-speaking countries often hold special events, so you could follow their social media page to see event alerts.
Museum exhibit talks or film screenings are other possibilities for hearing and interacting with other Spanish speakers. If you can find a study buddy to go with, that’s even better. Perhaps you can meet for coffee before or after the event to study some related vocabulary.
6. Choose immersion activities that suit your interests
Listening to Spanish podcasts
As we mentioned earlier, listening to Spanish podcasts is another fun opportunity for honing your speaking since listening will help you with pronunciation and vocabulary. The topics can be any variety of your interests: news, politics, life coaching, ghost stories, gossip, or comedy.
Reading Spanish books
We mentioned reading Spanish books, but how about combining activities? You could form a Spanish-learners book club or find a study buddy with whom to read out loud? We recommend choosing a book per month appropriate to your level then meeting once a month for about an hour and a half. You might be able to meet at the library or a cafe and make some new friends in the process.
Watching Spanish movies
Spanish movies and TV are fantastic methods for learning Spanish because you can listen to dialogue within a visual context. Plus, you have the option to turn on the subtitles to train your brain to connect the audio with the text. You can start with English subtitles then work your way up to the Spanish ones. Better yet, try the closed captioning which will include descriptions of the sound. Or watch your favorite movie with dubbed Spanish audio since you already know what the dialogue says in English.
TV shows can be ideal choices since they’re shorter. Nowadays, nearly all streaming services have TV shows in Spanish, and some of them are quite good. Perhaps it’s time to watch a telenovela (soap opera) for a change. They may be a little corny or predictable, but they’re usually easier to understand too. RTVE, the Spanish public television station, has a few programs available to overseas viewers.
7. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes
Making mistakes is part of learning another language! After all, it’s how you learned your native language. Young children constantly make errors in their speech, but they learn little by little and by listening to others. Parents sometimes correct their child’s speech, but they also know their child learns through context and practice. The same is true for adult learners.
If you can have the same patience with yourself that your parents probably had with you when you were a toddler, it will go a long way in your language learning process. It’s ok to take a little longer to learn to pronounce certain words like ferrocarril in Spanish. The key is consistency and persistence.
Learn how to speak Spanish quickly with Rosetta Stone
Language learning is not just about speaking but also reading, writing, and listening. Even if you’re mostly interested in speaking Spanish, you’ll still need to read signs or menus in Spanish or listen to others communicate to you.
With Rosetta Stone, you can build all four of these interwoven skills quickly because the program includes bite-size lessons, pronunciation assistance but also five features to accelerate language learning. These include stories and phrasebooks to support your listening and speaking skills. ¿Qué esperas? (What are you waiting for?) Start speaking better Spanish today!
0 Commentaires