Hello all! Today’s post is an opportunity to get to know me a little better. One of my interests/hobbies is the Spanish language. I have been “doing” Spanish for about 7 years now and I still feel a constant need for improvement, because my Spanish is very poor. Since I am not a Spanish major or minor (no time), I have to find creative ways to practice and continue learning. This constant learning is important because of something very exciting I have coming up! 😉 I decided to share some of these ways with you all today!

1.  Conversation

This is the ultimate way to practice, because what good is it to learn a language and not be able to communicate. I am blessed enough to go to a church with Hispanic families, so I make sure to converse with them. I also am able to use Spanish when I am out and about. The city I live in has a tremendous Hispanic/Latino population, so going out for food or to visit el supermercado is another opportunity. I also make sure to use it whenever I volunteer. Next time you visit a Tex-Mex or authentic Hispanic/Latino restaurant, place your order in Spanish, that is the simplest way to start! Become a regular there

2. YouTube

Ah, yes. Good ol’ YouTube is a tremendous help. I will try to watch a Spanish lesson video to improve my vocabulary or watch a vlog all in Spanish. When watching a vlog, I tend to leave the subtitles off, because I am trying to work on my auditory skills. If you are just beginning feel free to use them. Also, if I do not understand a word I will pause the video and look it up. This allows me to improve on my vocabulary because Spanish is not the same everywhere you go.

For a quick Spanish lesson I watch Butterfly Spanish on YouTube, she is very animated, and interesting. Her videos are never too long and it feels like you are learning Spanish in a more informal way. I just recently started looking for Spanish-speaking vloggers so the only one I am watching now is Carol del Toro. Her channel is very much fitness orientated, but she just quit her corporate job to start a house renovation business with her fiancé, which is very interesting. If you know of any good Spanish-speaking YouTubers(clean-language of course), or even blogs, let me know!

3. Wordreference + Dictionary

Wordreference is an app and a website that I absolutely love. I use this app whenever I need to look up a word. For instance, when I am out and about I always think to myself “How would I explain this situation in Spanish?“. I run through the scenario in my head and once I come across a word I do not know in Spanish, I immediately turn to Wordreference. This is another great way to build my vocabulary.

If you would like you can always purchase a pocket dictionary to keep with you or simply download an app. I have my medical Spanish dictionary and regular Spanish dictionary at home. I tend to use these, especially the medical one whenever I think of a potential communication scenario in my head.

That’s all I have for you all! How do you practice a language you are learning?

Thanks for reading,

Anna

Note: This post is in no way sponsored. Any links provided are resources that may be helpful for you. I am not receiving any benefits, nor am I working with any companies.