by Lori Wade
When traveling, we all experienced this awkward moment: a native speaker comes to you and starts talking to you, and all you can do is show him that you have no idea what he just said. That same moment we all regret that did not bother to learn some language before going overseas. However, traveling is not the only reason to master a language. Some might need it for work, others for studying, while some also learn it for fun.
Learning a new language is an interesting and an exciting experience. You get to dive into the new culture, a new world and maybe even make friends from the country where it is spoken. Learning it is not necessarily about boring classes where all you do is memorizing words you will never use in your life again or studying dictionaries.
It does not have to be that horrible and dull. Improving your Spanish or starting everything from the beginning can be much fun if you look at it creatively. No matter what you need Spanish for, you will enjoy every second of learning it, as it is a beautiful, expressive, fun, and emotional language.
So, let's see what the best ways to master Spanish in a fresh and creative manner are.
People willing to master a new language need to dive into it. It is the most efficient way of learning something. When you live thousands of miles away from the place where this language is spoken and consequently never use it in real life, the chances are that it will always stay just some theoretical knowledge not applicable to your life. However, to make it a part of your everyday routine, you will have to add it to daily life. It might seem artificial at first, but you will get used to it and start viewing it in a brand-new way. It will become real and close to everything you do.
So, the first exercise we will introduce you to is known as the “hysterics” or “show, don't tell.” The point of the game is to practice the common vocabulary. So, have two teams of people. Each of them should get around five small pieces of paper. Explain to them that on each piece they should write one noun. It must be something everyone is familiar with and uses every day.
Then fold these papers and put them all in a bowl. Then one by the representatives of each team would have to explain this the word they got from a hat in Spanish, and the team has to guess the word.
On the next round, players have to act out the same words to their teams after each one had a go on the first round. Finally, in the third round the players have to say one things associated with the word on paper so that the team guesses what word he means. Dictionaries and online translators are allowed but not too much to save the fun. It's a great chance to have fun and learn the language on the go.
They say that there is a particular amount of words knowing which you can start talking in the target language. So, why not start learning those words today?
Google for a list of let's say 400 Spanish words. Find the list and print it out. Then select five words for each day and put them on sticky notes around the house. Make sure to implement them in your daily conversations, or if you had no chance for it, write down several sentences using it.
Having just a couple of words for each day means that you won't go nuts because of the amount of information you get. Besides, you can get focused on just five words and learn them better!
This can be so much fun! It does not have to be a three-hankie diary as we usually look at it. It is simply an attempt to talk Spanish on a daily basis. Think of everything that happened to you during the day and write it down. Not only writing a diary is good for your health, as it helps you relieve stress and sleep better, but it can also boost your knowledge of Spanish. So, give it a few minutes before you go to sleep, grab a pencil and a piece of paper and start writing.
Do not wait for the “Dear Diary” moments only. Take notes of some ordinary events. Describe what you had for lunch to practice some vocabulary usage, then share where you spent the day and write down what you are grateful for in this day. Imagine that you are telling all this to a friend to make it easier.
Besides, you will have so much fun reading it later when you learn the language better. Just think about it: you will have a much better command of Spanish, so reading your first attempts in it can be a funny thing!
In our fast-paced world, every day you can find new technological solutions which can help you master the language. Among many options you have are the profiles you have on social media. So, instead of scrolling down the friends' news there, start writing there in the language you learn.
You can opt for writing book or film reviews as well as share your thoughts on the current events. The fact that someone might actually speak the language you are writing in can motivate you to do your best in writing. Besides, this way you can find friends with one common interest which is mastering Spanish.
You don't have to be Charles Dickens and create outstanding pieces here. But create some fun stories either fictional or based on the things which happened to you in real life.
As an idea, you can create a blog where you will save and publish the new stories you have come up with. Share this idea with your friends and you can even create a club of people who learn and practice Spanish in this way.
Lori Wade is a freelance content writer for Thriving Writer who is interested in a wide range of spheres from education and online marketing to entrepreneurship. She is also an aspiring tutor striving to bring education to another level like we all do. Lori is used to handling many writing orders at the same time and as she likes sharing her ideas and experience, she decided to write a great article for you to show how multiple tasks should be dealt with. If you are interested in writing, you can find her on Twitter or Google+ or find her in other social media. Read and take over Lori’s useful insights!
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