- Relax!:
Learning a language is a long, difficult process. You are going to have ups and downs all along the way, and it is guaranteed that you will make a million mistakes. There will be days, even weeks, when you feel like you are making no progress, and even times when you feel that your Spanish has gotten worse. This is all completely normal, so just DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT.
Learning a language is a process, and just like any other process it takes time. All anyone really needs to do to improve their Spanish (or any other language) is RELAX, PRACTICE, and GIVE IT TIME; and you are guaranteed to get better!
- Remember what you are learning Spanish for:
The vast majority of us do not learn a foreign language so that we can write beautiful poetry, become eloquent debaters, or hit the best-seller list in that language. We learn a foreign language to COMMUNICATE with speakers of that language, that’s it! If all you are trying to do is communicate, it really doesn’t make sense to worry about making mistakes, all that matters is getting your point across. So… Just Go For It! Go out and make mistakes, use a lot of hand motions, even draw pictures if you have to. Through practice and over time, simply communicating will become easier, you will find that you have a vast array of strategies to say what you want to say, and you can then begin to fine-tune your use of the language.
- Always carry paper and pen:
With millions of words in a language, choosing which ones to learn is an incredibly difficult task. Instead of just picking words out of a dictionary to learn, write down words and phrases that you come across throughout the day and look them up when you get home. These words are much more likely to come up again than some random word you pick out of a dictionary that possibly nobody even uses.
- Play the part of the “Clueless Gringo”:
The “Clueless Gringo” what the heck does that mean? It is my experience that most Ecuadorians really enjoy helping out / explaining things to foreigners, as long as it isn’t too difficult or time-consuming. Most locals are proud to show off their country, and I think they feel good when they are picked out of a crowd to share their knowledge and experience with a foreigner. Best of all, you can use this to practice your Spanish. So, playing the part of a “Clueless Gringo” basically means asking people for help with directions, the time, questions about the country, etc. as an excuse to practice your Spanish (whether you actually need help or not).
When I first started learning Spanish in Ecuador, my Spanish teacher used to send me off on assignments to practice my Spanish. He would send me to the bank to inquire what I would need to open an account there, he would send me to the bus station to get departure information, he would send me to the library to find out what kind of resources they had, etc. He wanted me to do all this not because I needed to open a bank account, leave town, or check out library books, but because it was an excuse to practice my Spanish with different people, in practical everyday situations, and it was a kind of an adventure.
People of all levels of Spanish can use this strategy for practicing their Spanish, as it can be as simple as just asking someone for the time or directions (for beginners), to going to a real-estate sales office to get information on properties in Ecuador (more advanced, and also a great opportunity for anyone interested in real-estate!).
- GO OUT!!:
Going out at night gives you a multitude of opportunities to practice your Spanish, not to mention it is a lot of fun! Just pick a bar or club that Spanish speakers frequent (i.e. DO NOT go to the local English Pub to find people to practice your Spanish with), have some drinks with friends and try to make some new friends that you can practice your Spanish with.
- HAVE A DRINK!!:
Often a big problem beginners have in learning a language, is that they are not confident enough in their own abilities to practice the language. So, if this is a problem, why not have a drink to loosen up!? Obviously I do not want to advocate alcoholism, but every now and then, after a long day, having a couple of drinks and practicing your Spanish with locals can be a fun way to relax and practice the language without worrying so much about making mistakes or sounding dumb!
- Read in Spanish:
Reading in Spanish is a great way to improve your vocabulary and to attack the language at your own pace. Unlike in conversations, if you are confused or don’t understand something, you can simply go back and read it again. Beginners as well as advanced speakers will encounter a lot of new vocabulary while reading, and it is especially nice to see these words / phrases used in context (something most dictionaries do not offer). The following are good options for reading material:
Newspapers: El Comercio (Quito), El Universo (Guayaquil), El Mercurio (Cuenca)
Magazines: Vistazo (news, celebrities, technology, etc.), Vanguardia (best Ecuadorian news journal), Cosas (entertainment, and women’s life), or La Onda (entertainment).
Novels: Harry Potter novels are good for learning another language because they use simple vocabulary and are fun to read (keep you going), Paulo Coelho novels are a good choice, or really anything that will keep you interested and reading more (as it can be a little frustrating). In other words read according to your interests.
- Listen to Spanish Music:
Listening to music in Spanish, and even singing along is a great way to practice listening-comprehension. If you can, try to write down the lyrics, or if not just try to distinguish words. If you can find the lyrics already written out (most songs should be easy to find on the internet) follow along, or even better sing-along to practice pronunciation. Some popular Spanish artists that should be easy to find in the corner CD shops all over Quito, or any other town of size, are:
Juanes (pop/rock)
RBD (pop)
Reik (pop/rock)
Shakira (pop)
Alejandro Sanz (smooth rock)
Ricardo Arjona (smooth rock)
Daddy Yankee (regeatton)
- Watch Spanish TV or a Movie in Spanish:
Another good way to practice listening comprehension is by watching TV or a movie in Spanish. If you are still a beginner I recommend getting a little background information on the program or movie you plan to watch ahead of time, as you will find it is easier to follow what is going on if you can place it into some greater context. The other recommendation is to watch something that you like or are interested in. Ecuadorian TV schedules can be found in almost any newspaper and include Telenovelas (Spanish language soap operas), cartoons such as “The Simpsons”, news shows, sports (mainly football / soccer), nature specials, etc. Some good Spanish language movies I can recommend are:
Qué Tan Lejos (Ecuador)
Nicotina (Mexico)
Y tu mama tambien (Mexico)
Amores Perros (Mexico)
Volver (Spain)
Nueve Reinas (Argentina)
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