Maybe you have decided to start learning Spanish on your own without going to a college class or working with a tutor. This is much easier to do nowadays given the many language learning resources available on the internet and more and more language apps you can download onto your smart phone.

You have probably already worked out the benefits of learning alone; you study at your own pace whenever you have the time and will not feel the classroom pressure to keep up with everyone else. You don’t feel left behind if you miss a class. You can choose exactly what to study to achieve your specific goals.

However, there are disadvantages and difficulties that people face who decide to “go it alone” when learning a language. The first problem most people face is “language learning overwhelm”. You come across so much advice about what to learn first – should you focus on grammar or growing your vocabulary? Should you try to start speaking straight away? What are the best resources to use? How are you going to test yourself and keep track of your progress? The list of questions goes on. Continue reading →