I am a freshman in high school. have been learning Spanish in school for about 7/8 years, and I can hold up a conversation reasonably well, but I am seeking a way to take my mediocre school-learned Spanish and become fluent. How?
2006-10-30 13:01:45 · 7 answers · asked by Eleanor Rigby 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
Immersion, immersion, immersion. There is no other way to take your school spanish to the next level. You MUST speak to native speakers. If it is not possible for you to go to a spanish-speaking country, the next best thing is to find spanish-speaking people in your community. Let them know that you want to learn, and ask them if it's okay if you only speak spanish to them/they only speak spanish to you. I have been known to frequent Mexican restaurants - there's not a lot of opportunities around where I live to practice otherwise. Another thing that may help you is if you use the online chats in spanish, but make sure you stay safe (don't give out personal info, etc.). A site I like a lot is www.espanglishchat.com - everyone in there is pretty much trying to improve either their english or their spanish. This won't help you with the spoken piece, but it will keep your fluency up in the writing AND you will learn a lot of street spanish/slang. Native speakers always seem surprised by my knowledge of slang spanish - most of this came from online practice, not from textbooks!
Good luck, speaking spanish is a great and useful skill!
2006-10-30 15:24:22 · answer #1 · answered by mthompson828 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need an immersion program. They are relatively cheap, and you stay with a Spanish speaking family for an extended time. (It could be a week, it could be 3 months, it varies.) When you do this, usually in another country, you are forced to use Spanish as your main language, so you improve really quickly. Here are some other things you can do: whenever you speak with Hispanic friends, ask if they will speak only in Spanish with you. Also, listen to Spanish radio and music and watch Spanish televison. Good luck!
2016-03-19 01:53:59 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
All the lonely people, where do they all come from (not related to your question, but when I saw your screen name, the song came to my mind). I agree with the answers that want you to do a language immersion (like exchange student in a Spanish speaking country). But how about this idea: Spanish speaking people are all over the country. Why don't you try to find a friend that speaks the language, or if not possible try to pay a tutor that is fluent.
2006-10-30 14:31:49 · answer #3 · answered by peralta 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try getting into a foreign exchange program so you can study in a Spanish speaking country like Mexico, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, etc. Living in a Spanish environment will definitely make you fluent in the language.
2006-10-30 14:04:36 · answer #4 · answered by LolaCola 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Rosetta stone software is good but expensive. I have two or three less expensive programs I use. Software is good because it usually has sound capability to get the pronunciation right. I found a really nice woman in Ecuador and we email regularly, really helps, she grades my Spanish and I help with her English.
2006-10-30 13:14:33 · answer #5 · answered by doktordbel 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The best is hanging out with latinos. Its more fun than a class!
Next best thing is to just study common phrases like here in the FREE online guide
2006-10-31 22:03:54 · answer #6 · answered by amateurspanish.com 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are a variety of computer programs that help you increase your spanish speaking. Also, going and visiting Spain (yes, I know I sound crazy) will help you learn and understand the language more and help you become more fluent in it.
2006-10-30 13:09:43 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋