So you´re taking a Spanish course, either at a language institute or college, but you feel you need to do more to go beyond that intermediate-level plateau? Well, as an avid language learner myself, I have gathered here some tips that might help you do some extra work and get your Spanish on to a higher level.
1) Review. You have to make sure you understand every aspect of the lesson before you move on to the next. That means you have to check alternative sources of information (other textbooks, grammars, websites, etc.) that bring the topic you´re studying. Don´t rush into another lesson when you have doubts because you´ll only be wasting time and effort.
2) Input vs. Output. OK, bottom line: if you´re not exposed to real language (written and oral forms or language) you will not be able to produce natural-sounding language. So, rule number one is: the least you translate, the better. Learn functions, like “how to greet someone”, with many examples, because there are other alternatives to saying only “hello” or “hi”, aren´t there? Rule number two: try and make examples of your own, be silly, speak in front of the mirror, imitate the sounds you hear on your audio CD, pretend you´re being interviewed by Cristina! Rule number three: listen and read! This is the only way to acquire vocabulary. Make lists, review them. Make sentences with the words you put in them.
3) Pronunciation. As adults we have more difficulty producing some sounds but having good pronunciation is different than having an accent. If you´re an adult and you learn a foreign language, you´ll surely have an accent but you have to try and make your pronunciation as clear as possible. I was once at a teachers´ seminar and although the main presenter had a strong French accent, he made himself understood because he had clear pronunciation.
4) Speak with native speakers. Besides providing you with correct pronunciation, they can give you slang and colloquial Spanish you won´t find in textbooks!
5) Write it down!. Keeping a vocabulary notebook and carrying it around is great. But there are some tips when you write things down. Remember to write, if possible, the word you want to remember used in a sentence, for example, you just learned the word “sábanas” (bed sheets). Make a sentence that is relevant to you, like “Tengo que lavar mis sábanas.”, meaning “I have to have my bed sheets washed”. Also, jotting down fixed chunks of information is a good way to go, for example with household chores, learn that “planchar la ropa” means iron the clothes and don´t overanalyze everything. El que no registra no crea historia.
6) Make mistakes. There´s nothing wrong with making mistakes when learning a foreign language. Usually we start making sounds we´ve never made before, like tongue trills and it may seem awkward to many but keep your head up high and carry on the error-and-trial basis. Remember, “hablar sólo un idioma es como ver con un sólo ojo”, speak only one language is like seeing with only one eye.
Remember Steve Martin´s performance as Inspector Clouseau learning to say “I would like a hamburger”? Check it out and have some fun with his accent!
Nos vemos prontito!
