My friend Jason wanted to learn to speak Spanish, but he was confused about how to go about it. Should he take a class? Maybe he should study Spanish online, but there were so many websites to choose from. Since he worked and had a young family, he didn’t have much time. Maybe he should give up on his dream of beginning Spanish right now.
If you have thought of starting to learn Spanish, what approaches have you considered or possibly tried? There are a variety of methods you can use to learn to speak Spanish. Here are five of them:
Beginning Spanish classes through a local continuing education programOnline Spanish coursesGo to a Spanish-speaking country for an immersion courseTaking a Spanish course on mp3 files you can carry with you or listen to in the carWorking with a multi-media Spanish program on your computerWhich Method of Beginning Spanish Would Be Best for You?
Here is a quick description of the pros and cons of each method. Really, there is no one method that will be right for everyone. You have to consider your own situation, budget, and reasons for wanting to begin Spanish.
(1) TAKING A LOCAL SPANISH CLASS
The routine of going to class may help you study, but if you want to learn to speak Spanish, this is not usually a good choice. Classes of this sort tend to be heavy on grammar and weak on conversation. Also, they are quite time-consuming when you think of going to and from the class and that part of the class time is wasted or spent on helping other students with things that aren’t a problem for you.
(2) ONLINE SPANISH COURSES
This is quite possible, and there are some free courses.
(3) IMMERSION COURSE IN A SPANISH-SPEAKING COUNTRY
By far the most expensive approach, this also provides a vacation. There are immersion classes in virtually every Spanish-speaking country. These vary a lot in quality, so do your research.
(4) MP3 COURSE
Probably the most convenient method, with a course like this you can listen to it from your computer but more likely you will listen via an ipod or similar device, or through a car stereo. This method can be very effective for learning to speak Spanish. If you also want to learn to read and write Spanish, be sure to select a program that also has books or workbooks. My favorite in this category is Rocket Spanish; see the link at the top of this article.
(5) MULTI-MEDIA COMPUTER PROGRAM
In this approach, you interact with a computer program. It’s nice that you can move at your own pace from one lesson to the next, learning as you go. Some of the programs include MP3 files you can use on an ipod or similar device. These programs are probably the very best way to begin Spanish on your own. Pay close attention to the differences between the programs, as some are based on current research into how adults learn languages.
Once you decide what method you want to start with, you can move on to the next step, of choosing which course or program or whatever you will select. Jason chose Fluenz, (see the link at the top of this article) a multi-media computer program with add-on MP3 files.
What will you choose?
