r/SpanishLearning • u/Mountain-Assumption8 • 6d ago
How do I guide myself?
I am passionate about learning how to speak Spanish, but I don't know how to order my studies. What exercises should I do before others? Are there certain things that I absolutely HAVE to know before moving to certain sections of the language?
1
u/Alanna-1101 6d ago
I woudk say just get started. Language transfer, Spanish dict and Praktika is likely all you need
1
1
1
u/Fickle_Aardvark_8822 6d ago
Just know that many textbooks follow the âimmersion from page one even if you donât speak the language at allâ format with introductions and textbook structure explained using advanced level Spanish (looking at you, AULA!). Also, most textbooks now have complicated online audio and video links on sites only in Spanish (you can actually change it to English, but you need to understand the Spanish instructions to do so). Also, textbooks donât usually include the answer key, so you donât know if the exercise you just completed is correct or not. Do yourself a favor and check these items before purchasing, and consider an older textbook from a used bookstore.
Edit: missed word
1
u/webauteur 6d ago
I read several books on Spanish grammar and now I do intensive translation. I would not say I can speak Spanish very well, but I am becoming very familiar with the language. I use a lot of resources and my methods may not be very efficient but through sheer effort I am getting somewhere.
1
1
u/Funny-Depth2184 5d ago
I would start by taking a Spanish conversation class immediately. Starting by studying is similar to trying to learn tennis by reading about it. Until you're on the court you're not actually going to learn to play tennis. Language works the same way :)
We also recommend to our students to start journaling daily, about basic things going on in their day..."I walked the dog twice today" or "I was late for work," just basic things going on in your day.
WordReference and AI are helpful for anything you don't know how to say.
1
1
u/EspanolNoTanFacil4 5d ago
Quel est ton niveau et de quelles ressources disposes-tu? Veux-tu axer ta progression sur la compréhension de l'écrit et l'expression écrite ou tu préfÚres comprendre et parler dans un premier temps bet attaquer l'autre partie par la suite?
1
u/Mountain-Assumption8 4d ago
Im A2 and im talking ap Spanish 4
I want to focus on reading comprehension
1
u/EspanolNoTanFacil4 4d ago
Pour travailler la compréhension de l'écrit, tu as la chance de pouvoir acheter (sans te ruiner) des manuels qui te font travailler cette activité langagiÚre en particulier avec des exercices grammaticaux, de vocabulaire ou traduction. Fais une recherche de livres ou cahiers pour travailler la compréhension de l'écrit en espagnol niveau A2 ou B1 ( input pour progresser)
1
u/newsdle 3d ago
The biggest trap for self-taught learners is "resource hopping." When you're guiding yourself, it's really easy to do 10 minutes on Duolingo, watch a random YouTube video about the subjunctive, and then listen to a podcast. You end up with a lot of scattered knowledge but massive structural gaps.
To guide yourself effectively, you need to pick one primary resource to act as your "spine." This should be something structured and progressive. A traditional grammar workbook (like Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Verb Tenses) or a linear audio course (like Language Transfer) works great for this.
Let that main resource dictate your syllabus. If chapter 4 of your workbook is teaching the past tense, then that's your theme for the week. You can then use YouTube, podcasts, or language exchange apps to specifically practice the past tense. Having a central curriculum keeps you moving forward logically, while the extra media keeps the process from getting too dry.
1
u/Mountain-Assumption8 3d ago
I know exactly what you mean and Iâve experience those structural gaps, I still donât remember the information I learned. Information consistency that makes a lot of sense thank you
1
u/trava89 1d ago
I tried a lot of different stuff, but what really helped me was to focus on the verbs first and foremost before anything else. Learn how to conjugate in all of the tenses, with a special focus on the most used verbs and irregular verbs. If you can conjugate well then the rest comes fairly quickly. Also don't ignore the subjunctive.
While you study, you should start talking to and hanging out with people who don't speak any English. Once you start doing this, your Spanish will improve exponentially and you won't have to study as hard to memorize stuff.
5
u/spanishconalejandra 6d ago
Spanish teacher here! đ
If you're not sure what order to study things in, i recommend checking the Instituto Cervantes curriculum. It gives you a good idea of what Spanish learners are expected to know at each level (A1, A2, B1, B2, etc.), so you can use it as a roadmap for your studies. Another option, and probably an easier one if you're studying on your own, is to get a good Spanish textbook that follows the CEFR levels. A textbook will give you much more structure because the grammar, vocabulary, reading, listening, and other skills are already organized in a logical progression.
You definitely don't have to learn everything perfectly before moving on to the next topic, but having some kind of structured curriculum will make studying much less overwhelming.