Teach Yourself Spanish
Six Ways to Build on What You've Learnt in the Classroom
Outside of the classroom there are plenty of great ways to teach yourself Spanish. And you'll be pleased to hear it's not all hard grammar and reciting of vocabulary, either!
1. Read, Read, Read...
Devouring every ounce of written material at your disposal is an excellent way to teach yourself Spanish. If you've got some time to kill why not pick up a newspaper or a magazine? It doesn't even necessarily matter if you don't understand every word. Just try to make sure you're continually passing the words in front of your eyes, as seeing them in context can often be enough to figure out (and thus, in the long term, learn) their meaning.
Devouring every ounce of written material at your disposal is an excellent way to teach yourself Spanish. If you've got some time to kill why not pick up a newspaper or a magazine? It doesn't even necessarily matter if you don't understand every word. Just try to make sure you're continually passing the words in front of your eyes, as seeing them in context can often be enough to figure out (and thus, in the long term, learn) their meaning.
2. Immerse Yourself in the Language Over a Coffee
The cafetería and the bar are the dual hubs of Spanish society. So to hear the language as it's spoken by normal people, that's where you need to be. Settle back over a cortado - with a newspaper, perhaps - and see how much of the day-to-day chatter you can pick up.
The cafetería and the bar are the dual hubs of Spanish society. So to hear the language as it's spoken by normal people, that's where you need to be. Settle back over a cortado - with a newspaper, perhaps - and see how much of the day-to-day chatter you can pick up.
3. Get into Spanish Music
As with reading, it's not essential that you understand every word - the important thing is to have the words passing through your brain. And let's face it, it's hardly a chore - whether it's traditional flamenco from Andalucia or avant-garde electro from Barcelona, Spanish music is great!
As with reading, it's not essential that you understand every word - the important thing is to have the words passing through your brain. And let's face it, it's hardly a chore - whether it's traditional flamenco from Andalucia or avant-garde electro from Barcelona, Spanish music is great!
4. Find Yourself an 'Intercambio'
The 'intercambio' (or language exchange) is a time-honoured institution in Spain, and a great way to teach yourself Spanish. Because, just as you're eager to learn their language, so there's someone out there who wants to learn yours. Why not make the most of it then, and share the knowledge you've both got at your fingertips? In major university towns like Salamanca, you usually don't have to look much further than notice boards, phone boxes and the like, while online forums (such as those you'll find here on our site) are also always going to have plenty of willing people with whom you can meet up over a coffee and test out your newly acquired skills.
The 'intercambio' (or language exchange) is a time-honoured institution in Spain, and a great way to teach yourself Spanish. Because, just as you're eager to learn their language, so there's someone out there who wants to learn yours. Why not make the most of it then, and share the knowledge you've both got at your fingertips? In major university towns like Salamanca, you usually don't have to look much further than notice boards, phone boxes and the like, while online forums (such as those you'll find here on our site) are also always going to have plenty of willing people with whom you can meet up over a coffee and test out your newly acquired skills.
5. Keep a Comic Handy
Comic books are a great way to teach yourself Spanish. Why? Because the words are portrayed by an image, so if you don't fully understand them, you should still be able to get a sense of their meaning. This is also a great way of taking on quite advanced vocabulary in without having to sit down and learn it, parrot-fashion, from a list. Whether at home or here in Spain, most good international book shops will have a selection of comics in Spanish to choose from.
Comic books are a great way to teach yourself Spanish. Why? Because the words are portrayed by an image, so if you don't fully understand them, you should still be able to get a sense of their meaning. This is also a great way of taking on quite advanced vocabulary in without having to sit down and learn it, parrot-fashion, from a list. Whether at home or here in Spain, most good international book shops will have a selection of comics in Spanish to choose from.
6. Hit the Books
We said it wasn't going to be all grammar or reciting of vocabulary; we didn't say that there wasn't going to be any grammar or reciting of vocabulary at all! Because at the end of the day, when it comes down to how to teach yourself Spanish - or indeed any language - there's really no substitute for hitting the books.
We said it wasn't going to be all grammar or reciting of vocabulary; we didn't say that there wasn't going to be any grammar or reciting of vocabulary at all! Because at the end of the day, when it comes down to how to teach yourself Spanish - or indeed any language - there's really no substitute for hitting the books.
