How can I be successful in a college foreign language class?

Question

Can you give specifics, not just "Study"! ?

How can I become conversant? I already took a year of Spanish as a high school freshmen but during the second semester I had a difficult time retaining the information. I'm currently a senior and I remember nothing of what I learned in Spanish class. Just the numbers.

Answer 1

Personally I love learning languages, but the only way for me to learn them is to put them to a beat or rythem, you know how there's an alphabet song? something like that, except i look for actual bands and find good songs, i hear the words from the language that I'm trying to learn and it reinforces what i learned, or i learn the title and its meaning and then i learn new words that way. I personally like RBD as far as spanish much goes (its pop) I also like learning from podcasts. All of this stuff can easily be put on an mp3 player and then you can carry it around and learn it at any time or listen to it all the time. I like singing to the songs too, that way I listen to the music (and learn to recognize how it sounds and how it's pronounced) and learn to speak it (because if you sing it you have to know the words) and then reading the lyrics can help you with reading the language... I've learned a great deal of Japanese, German, and Spanish from music! I hope this helps!

Answer 2

The best way to learn a foreign language is to do an exchange program in the respective country. If you are unable to participate in an exchange program try to find a native speaker of the language you are learning. Also I have found that reading books of the language I'm studying has been a huge help and has improved my vocabulary.
Depending on the language you are learning and the size of the city you live in, there are often groups for speakers of a certain language and perhaps you can participate in that?

Answer 3

Hola! Buenas Tardes.

If your college has a language lab, visit it. They should have tapes to listen to and mimic. They may even have language coaches available with which to have mock conversations to help improve your grasp of the language. Nothing helps one to learn a language better than actually speaking it. Also, you can buy your own home language learning kit to use with your computer. Use that as a supplement to your work in school. If you live in an area with a significant Hispanic or Latino population, visit that area. Hang out in some of their restaurants, and try to get to know some of the locals and have conversations with them. Explain that you are trying to learn the language, and many will be excited to discover that fact and willingly help you. Just be careful to distinguish between good grammatical practices and bad. You may want to get yourself a good pocket Spanish-English dictionary to use and bring that along with you when you foray out amongst the natives.

Hope these suggestions are useful. Good luck learning the language. I personally have a Mexican friend who has helped me learn quite a bit of Spanish.

Adios!

Answer 4

I am fluent in Spanish and it took alot of hard work. If you really want to learn Spanish then you need to work extra hard and study everynight. Also go to a local Latin American restaurant and speak to the waiters in Spanish. Just studieng in books doesn't do too much, you need to practice the language. Study and practice the laguage every day--your be a pro in no time! Buena Suerte!

Answer 5

Probably you don't remember what you "learned" in the Spanish class because you didn't put in practice what you
were taught. Perhaps if you have the opportunity to practice
with people who commands Spanish, you will do better. Good
Luck.

Answer 6

One thing that works for me, it to find someone that speaks the language that I am trying to learn. Preferably someone that speaks it as a first language.
Good Luck!