Most efficient way to learn Spanish

[Anonymous]

I’m currently in a community relations job in Northern Virginia, and I think learning Spanish would be beneficial. It’s not a job requirement, so I will likely be paying for this myself.

I took a semester of Spanish in college, 25 years ago, but I don’t remember most of it.

I am wondering if it would be beneficial to take some community college courses, Duolingo, or maybe something else.

I don’t need to be fluent, but I would like to be somewhat conversational.

I appreciate any suggestions.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, Duo lingo. If you did it for 30 min a day you'd see a lot of results. I did pay for DuoLingo, but the free version is a bit annoying in that you have to wait until your lives refill every time you make a mistake.

[Anonymous]

The best way to learn is to use it, so lessons or private tutoring where you are FORCED to only use Spanish are best.

Duolingo is good for vocab, but fluency will come from practicing.

There are myriad online classes you can take as well. Live Lingua is one that my kids have used and they're pretty good.

[Anonymous]

Immersion

[Anonymous]

-Pimsleur Spanish (5 levels, 30 minutes for each episode do one a day while you commute, do errands etc.)
-A good textbook for basic grammar, I liked the practice makes perfect series and Kwizik online spanish
-Anki digital flashcards (just ten minutes a day)
-Comprehensible input is KEY-start with Dreaming spanish videos on youtube
-After a few weeks of learning on your own, I highly recommend working with an Italki tutor. It was instrumental in my learning progress
-Another important factor is constancy, commit to having some interaction with the language everyday. It is much easier when you are at high intermediate level bc you can listen to podcasts, read, etc. and enjoy native content

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Immersion

This. I did the high school and college Spanish thing. Retook a class when I met my spanish speaking husband. Have done years of Duolingo. My husband really only speaks English at home. The only time I noticed my Spanish getting better was when I worked in a spanish dominant job and I was hearing it and forced to use it every day. My son really only learned it when he went to a full immersion school.

Turn all your devices to Spanish. Tv, radio, podcasts, news, all in spanish. Ask any spanish speakers you are friendly with if they would be willing to only talk to you in Spanish.

[Anonymous]

My kid got conversant in Spanish with Duolingo (she took French at school). I rewarded her effort by taking her to a spanish speaking country and in two weeks, she got downright chatty. She also has spanish speaking penpals she chats with, and she sought out the janitorial staff at school to practice with them.

Gotta hit it from multiple angles when you're too busy to do a months-long immersion approach (which is the actual most efficient way)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid got conversant in Spanish with Duolingo (she took French at school). I rewarded her effort by taking her to a spanish speaking country and in two weeks, she got downright chatty. She also has spanish speaking penpals she chats with, and she sought out the janitorial staff at school to practice with them.

Gotta hit it from multiple angles when you're too busy to do a months-long immersion approach (which is the actual most efficient way)

PP who recommended the Latina girlfriend. Agree 100%.

[Anonymous]

I highly recommend LearnCraft Spanish. It is free on spotify (and probably elsewhere). I found it much much better than duolingo.

[Anonymous]

If you can spare a week or two to go to Central America for immersion (Guatemala, Costa Rica), there are cheap 1:1 language schools that could help a lot.

[Anonymous]

Dreaming Spanish. It’s immersion videos. Very enjoyable way to learn.

[Anonymous]

Preply is great and very reasonable.

[Anonymous]

Pimsleur is very good. Also watch tv in Spanish.

[Anonymous]

As a bandaid-style fix, DW speaks English with a Mexican-type accent when needing to present as a Spanish speaker. It is not politically correctful, but it is effective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a bandaid-style fix, DW speaks English with a Mexican-type accent when needing to present as a Spanish speaker. It is not politically correctful, but it is effective.

Are you Alec Baldwin?