What do you think is the simplest, yet most effective way to learn Spanish?

I've always been interested in learning Spanish, but since I'm no longer in school and I don't really have money to blow, what would you all suggest?
:3

 

The simplest and most effective way to learn any language is to get stuck in a situation where it's necessary.

 

You may be able to borrow a course on cd or dvd from the public library. Supplement that by doing thi gs in Spanish. If you often listen to the radio, do it Spanish. Same goes for television and newspapers. I speak pretty well, but encounter problems reading novels. So, I started reading things intended for children age 12 or so. Then I started reading manga and poetry. When I became more comfortable, I took a job where most of my customers expected me to speak Spanish. South and Central Americans seem to be really frindly in general to those who really try. My international customers gently corrected my gammar, and lavished my speech with praise. I also think they bought extra because I cracked jokes in their language. You know what? I had no foundation in Brazilian Portuguese, but I picked up a lot of that as well, enough to close sales and negotiate discounts. Now I don't work that gig, so I practice by reading, and by playing Second Life on Spanish sims when I have the time. My in-laws speak Spanish, so I also practice on them.

TLDR: Get a foundation in the basics. Immerse yourself in a situation whereby speaking the language is vital. Do your hobbies in the language. Practice.

 

I think the best way to learn Spanish is to watch a lot of Spanish movies or TV series or maybe listening to some Spanish music. Or, of course, go to a Spanish speaking country. Good luck!

 

Check out websites like Interpals.net or iTalki.com. There are plenty of native Spanish speakers who want to learn English and you could help each other. You can either write e-mails and correct each other or video/voicechat.

There are loads of resources online that you can use in order to learn grammar. There are also websites that offer "word of the day" newsletters =)

If you have questions, feel free to ask (Spaniard here =)).

 

Having a hired help is a good way, because they speak the language and you can learn this way.

 

No soy fluído, but I ended up learning a ton of Spanish just by being around Spanish speaking people. In my situation I had to spend a good deal of time working with a group of people who didn't speak English, after a few years I just started understanding.

Though the Spanish I leaned was informal. So instead of saying "
¿puedo por favor tener un cigarrillo?" I would say ¡dame un pinche cigarrillo, guey! Ahora!"

I can actually speak pretty well for a güero.

In my case I have found that just being able to understand a good deal of the language has been beneficial.

I would never tell anybody in real life that I can speak or understand as much as I can, so I don't get much practice these days, but I still think the best way to learn any language is to immerse yourself in it, be around the language and use the language as much as you can.

 

the simplest and most effective way to learn spanish is to be born to spanish speaking parents.

 

Move to Mexico

 

Get some lessons from a spanish person

 

Sie Sie.

 

Depends on what you mean by "learning". If you just want to be able to speak and understand the spoken word, then get with some speakers. It'll be a long road. If you want to know the mechanics, parts of speech, conjugations, construction, be able to read and write as a basis to speak properly, get a textbook and build some knowledge before getting with some speakers. It's still a long road but you'll navigate better. Of course that's for people with drive, determination, and aptitude so naturally the success rate is understandably low.

It doesn't take long to pick up some basic useful Spanish. That's the goal of these "programs" that purport quick learning. But if your goal is to have deep meaningful discussions then you'll want a more rigorous background. The simplest is not the most effective; they are at odds. You get out of it what you put into it.

 

Do something about that hair................lol

 

I would also like to improve my Spanish, but I hardly have time for a language course. I now regularly look in popular Spanish language newspapers and watch series in Spanish, without subtitles, but some that I have seen already before...this helps me following the plot and I can concentrate more on the language itself and I don't have to focus so much on the plot itself. Another possibility would be to find a tandem partner. However, I have often looked around, also met a few people, but it was hardly possible to build up a "closer" relationship (for friends, of course) in order to keep in touch for a longer time and meet regularly. And, if it is hopefully possible again after this whole Covid 19 pandemic, you can of course spend your holidays in only Spanish speaking countries. My next destination is hopefully Colombia. I’ve heard that is super beautiful there! Can’t wait to travel again!!

 

I think that the college route is superior. I learned a lot. I know lots of words. The hardest part for me is knowing how to say what I want to say. Sometimes you don't say something the same way in Spanish that you do in English. E.g. To be scared in Spanish is 'tener miedo' I think. Well 'tener' is the verb 'to have', like the same verb you would use to say you have a sandwich or you have some jugo de naranja (you would say "yo tengo" or just "tengo" & "jugo de naranja". That's have orange juice) you would use to say "I'm scared" or "tengo miedo".

Also, with being cold you would say it differently. And ordering food, you say 'I would like to order food', that's "me gustaria pedir comida". Well, 'pedir' is the verb 'to ask for'. It's the same verb as you use to ask for help. With the conjugation for use with "I", it would be "pido ayuda" (I ask for help).

So that can take some time to get used to. We don't think of asking for food. To have fear is a little closer to our vernacular, but 'having cold' certainly isn't the same as 'being cold'.

 

I can tell you what's really worked for me. Especially if you don't have much opportunity to immerse yourself in a Spanish-speaking community or travel to one now that it's COVID. But effective things you CAN do are:

• Listen to Reggaeton or other Spanish-language music.
• Watch movies and shows you already love and know in Spanish on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus or Hulu with English subtitles (rewatching cartoons you grew up with in Spanish can help too! OR find Spanish cartoons as kids shows are easy to learn from)
• Install the "Language Learning with Netflix" extension on google chrome. This REALLY helped me with learning Spanish while watching Netflix
• Watch telenovelas!
• Watch youtube videos or kids' videos on learning Spanish to learn how natives would from when they were young. Gotta start from the bottom and move up! It'll help for sure with the basics and sentence structure, vocab, etc
• Listen to Spanish-learning podcasts or youtube videos on Youtube and Spotify
• Use apps like Duolingo, Memrise, and Babble - These also help ALOT

Good luck!

 

Hang around people who talk Spanish other then taking a class in Spanish............

 

In bed with a woman who only speaks Spanish.

 

There always sign language............

 

I went to live in a Spanish speaking country. Enrolled in the government language school. I was there for 5 years and left with the highest level possible for a foreigner. Beauty of it all was it cost virtualy nothing. I don't know where you all live but in the UK there are always local authority night classes which are not so expensive.