Learn Spanish Today

 Learn Spanish Today

“What’s the best method to study Spanish?”

Spanish was the first language I learned to a conversational level, so I get this question a lot. People often want a magic bullet – what's the one best method or technique to get the Spanish language into their heads?

Here's a secret: there is no one best way to study Spanish. There are almost as many effective ways to learn Spanish as there are people who have learned it.

With that being said, for every effective way to learn Spanish, there are even more ineffective ways. Take it from me – I tried and failed repeatedly for years to gain a passable level of Spanish, and kept falling flat on my face. Even six months of living in Valencia didn't help.

Eventually, I managed to learn Spanish to a high level of fluency, and even have a C2 diploma (the highest level) in the language. So I can assure you – just because you've failed in the past, doesn't mean you're doomed.

If you're struggling with Spanish, it's not because you “don't have the language gene“. You probably just don't have the right study method.

In this post I'll outline some of the most common and effective methods for studying Spanish. I can't tell you what the “best” program is for your specific needs – only you can figure that out. Experiment with different approaches until you discover what works best for you.

Before we get started, if you’re looking for an online Spanish course, here’s the course I recommend click here.

In my first six months in Spain, I hardly learned anything in the language. It wasn't for lack of trying. I'd put the effort in (or so I thought) but I just wasn’t able to make it work.

Then, I hit upon the most important realisation I've ever made in my journey to language-learning success. Once I made this discovery, everything changed – and before long I was having confident conversations in Spanish.

What was the secret?

You want to speak Spanish..?

That might sound obvious, but it's advice that many would-be Spanish speakers (like my 21-year-old self!) struggle to follow. Instead, they attempt to learn Spanish by burying their nose in books, occasionally watching a Spanish movie (with English subtitles), then speaking English all day with their friends, family and coworkers. No wonder I learned so slowly! At Fluent in 3 Months (Fi3M) I've always advocated that you speak from day one. Speaking Spanish is a skill, and to learn any skill you must practise it! Just open your mouth, and don't be afraid to make a few mistakes.

The topic of mnemonics goes deep. One advanced technique is the memory palace, in which you construct a mental image of a building (or buildings) you know well, and then imagine placing items at different locations in the building to remind you of certain words or concepts.

Mnemonic techniques like the memory palace take practice to get good at. Once you're good at them, they easily repay the initial time investment. They're an extremely effective way to memorize large amounts of vocabulary.

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