5 excellent films to help you learn Spanish!
Who says you can only learn a language from textbooks or by going to the country where they speak the language? There are so many different ways to learn a language. One of the most enjoyable ways, especially if you like watching films is to watch a subtitled movie. Not only does it improve your listening and understanding skills, but you also get to hear how the language sounds, the rhythm and accent of native speakers as well as the everyday words and expressions they use which you probably won’t find in any textbook or dictionary.
In this blog we will look at 5 popular films to learn Spanish: Continue reading
Learning Spanish with Telenovelas
There is no doubt about it that one of the easiest and most entertaining ways to learn a language is from watching television.
Telenovelas or Culebrones (long snakes) are like soap operas but instead of running on an ongoing basis, they are shown for a definite amount of time, say a year, so that they have a beginning, middle and an end to the storyline. Each episode is known as a “Capítulo”.
By listening to native speakers using everyday language spoken on the streets you will pick up not only a good accent but also useful expressions that you may not find in a dictionary or grammar book.
In this blog post we will give tips on how to learn from a Telenovela and also tell you about the most popular ones to watch. Continue reading
Popular Spanish podcasts – improve listening and pronunciation
As well as being able to speak a language one of the most important and useful skills when learning any language is to be able to listen to and understand native speakers. It is widely known that Spanish people are amongst the fastest speakers in the world therefore it takes a lot of practice to be able to get the grasp of what they are saying. The best way to improve your listening skills is to listen to as many different native speakers as possible as often as you can. People that listen to Spanish audio for just a few minutes a day notice a big difference after a short time. You will also find that your pronunciation will gradually improve. This article will give you some links to some excellent audio and podcasts you can download today. Continue reading
How to Learn Spanish with Instagram – Top Tips!
As you already know Instagram is a social media platform known for sharing photos and short video clips.
Why is Instagram good for learning Spanish?
• Visual: As it is a visual app it is a brilliant way to learn a language. Seeing an image related to the Spanish word is a great way to make it stick out in your mind and you will find that you will memorise words more easily this way and also retain them in your long term memory. Continue reading
5 tips to improve your Spanish pronunciation.
Learning new words and understanding the grammar is just half the battle when learning a language. If you don’t pronounce the words correctly you will find communicating effectively with native speakers difficult which can sometimes lead to confusion and embarrassment. Here are some useful tips on how you can improve your pronunciation and sound like a native Spanish speaker in no time at all! Continue reading
7 Ways to Overcome Your Fear of Speaking a Foreign Language
Xenoglossophobia (also known as foreign language anxiety) is “the feeling of unease, worry and apprehension experienced in learning or using a foreign language.”
The main reason people decide to learn another language is to speak to native speakers in the target language. Most people spend a long time learning a language through apps, podcasts, books, online grammar exercises, flashcards amongst others to reach a good level, however, once they come to actually start speaking to someone in the language, they can feel an overwhelming sense of fear and anxiety. Some people find they freeze and cannot utter a word.
If this sounds familiar then do not worry, it is completely normal to feel like this. Learning to speak in a whole new language is a huge challenge for most people but something definitely worth doing.
In this blog post we will give you tips to overcome this fear of speaking in a foreign language so that you can speak freely and without fear next time you come to speak to a native speaker. Continue reading
Spanish Football Phrases
Join in with the locals by discussing football!
With the Euros just underway now is a great time to learn some football lingo! What better way to strike up conversation with the Spanish people than to discuss football! It is worth pointing out to start with that some football related words vary depending on country and region.
Here are some key words and phrases to start you off.
Remember, some of the endings will change depending on whether they are male or female.
Spanish positions / titles:
football player – el/la futbolista
coach – entrenador/a
captain – el capitán
goalkeeper – portero/a / el guardameta Continue reading
Icebreaker Questions in Spanish
When you first meet a Spanish-speaking person it can be hard to know what to say and how to ask questions in the right way. To help you overcome your anxiety and to strike up conversation with a native speaker in this blog post we have put together a set of questions you could learn and adapt to a variety of situations. Continue reading
6 websites anyone learning Spanish MUST bookmark!
Here are my recommendations for the best websites to help anyone learning Spanish. They include online dictionaries, podcasts, video channels and Spanish TV/radio channels.
Word Reference:
This is one of the best online dictionaries for language learners. If you need to look up a word, a phrase either Spanish to English or English to Spanish this is an excellent place. Not only do you get the translation but also example sentences to see how it is used. There is also a forum to ask questions to which native speakers will reply with tips and advice giving you a real insight into how the language is really used. Continue reading
5 Easy Ways to Learn Spanish During Your Daily Commute
Travelling to work or college is the ideal time to learn Spanish or any other language you are studying. You do this on a daily basis, except perhaps at weekends so this helps you stick to regular learning. Whatever level you are at, this time can be a valuable part of your study schedule, especially if you are busy and struggle to find the time to fit in language learning every day. In this blog post we will share 5 tools you can use to learn Spanish on the train or in your car – most of which can be applied to any language. Continue reading
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