Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages on the planet, so it is not surprising at all that there are so many people all over the world who want to learn to speak it. More and more English speakers realize that being able to speak Spanish would open up many more doors for them, professionally and socially. Unfortunately, foreign languages are not promoted the way they should be in English-speaking countries and this contributes to the intimidation many speakers of English feel about venturing into another language.

The truth is that acquiring a new language does not happen overnight. It takes a certain amount of discipline, perseverance and time. However, this should not be a reason for you not to pursue your dream of learning Spanish in order to do business with South America, being able to speak the language of your significant other or, perhaps, just having an extra skill to put on your resume.

I am a native of Colombia who lives in South Florida and I am constantly asked by English-speakers about the best way to go about learning Spanish. They have realized that the growing importance of being able to speak a second language like Spanish opens new doors for them, even if they decide to live all their lives in an English-speaking country like England or America. As I am very familiar with the challenge of learning a foreign language I have a list of tips that I usually give those who are serious about learning Spanish. These are tips that I absorbed from experience, as I had to become fluent in English when I moved to the States and married an English-speaking husband, who became conversant in Spanish.

Some tips on learning languages

• Making learning a new language fun is half the battle. Use a variety of sources like books, magazines, movies, TV shows, etc to make it interesting. Staying motivated is a big part of learning a language and if it’s fun, you will always want to learn more.

• There are plenty of books, CD’s etc, on the market that claim to make you ‘fluent’ in Spanish in a very short period of time. I have found that more than half of them are not very helpful and usually lose the student after the first 3 – 5 lessons. Although there are some good Spanish courses out there on CD/DVD, if you are really serious about becoming fluent, you will need someone to interact with. If you cannot afford a tutor, find a good friend or neighbor who speaks it as a first language and will correct you as you speak. Being corrected can be frustrating but it will help you improve faster than any book or CD.

• I cannot stress this point enough, practice, practice and more practice. Every chance you get, watch films, listen to cd’s and try to speak Spanish with native speakers. Apart from films made in Spanish, most good Hollywood films and TV shows that come out on DVD have a Spanish audio track or subtitles. Once you are familiar with the story, watch them again and again with either the subtitles or the audio track in Spanish. This will help you learn new words and phrases which you would not normally encounter in your text books or in conversation. Of course you should pick movies and shows that you enjoy watching over and over again.

• Rather than going nuts and studying Spanish for 6 hours a day for a week or two and then getting burned out, it is much more effective to start slowly. One or two hours a day is more than sufficient, with a break every now and then of a day or two. Most people who start out, burn themselves out in the beginning by putting in too many hours a day. Being consistent with just 1 hour at least 4 times a week will be much more effective in the long run.

• If cost is an issue, your local library should have many films available for free, either in Spanish or with a Spanish track available as an option. There is plenty of material available on the Internet as well. Some sites like http://www.learnpracticalspanishonline.com offer you a chance to learn everyday Spanish for free. This, however, should be just one of the many resources you use. You will also find suggestions for other resources that could help you further your command of the language.