How to Learn Spanish

Okay, now that you have decided that you are definitely ready to step out of your safety zone and begin to explore the wonders of the Spanish language you are probably wondering where you should start.

What to Buy

There are a couple of things that you are going to want to purchase before you launch any type of Spanish language program. The first thing that you are going to need is a Spanish/English dictionary. There are a number of them on the market, and none is really better than the other; however, if you want to be able to get maximum effect for your dollar you are going to want to choose one that:

a) has a pronunciation guide at the beginning to help you with letter and vowel sounds

b) has a section showing you the conjugation of regular verbs and the most commonly used abnormal verbs (regular and irregular verbs will be discussed a little bit in the basic vocabulary appendix section of this manuscript)

c) has a Spanish to English and an English to Spanish section to allow you to look up words in either language

d) has a section showing the past, present and future tenses of verbs

e) explains the concepts of masculine and feminine nouns. Even though your dictionary is going to be able to let you know if a noun is masculine or feminine you are not always going to have it at hand, and if you know the tricks for quickly identifying whether a noun is masculine or feminine you will have an advantage right from the very beginning when it comes time to put words into action.

Random House released a good Spanish/English:English/Spanish dictionary some years ago. If you are unsure as to what dictionary you should purchase take a trip to the bookstore of your local university. The dictionaries used by the classes taught there are almost always of the highest quality (although if they do not match the criteria shown above it may be best to leave them on the shelf and continue your search).

Another item that you are going to find extremely useful in your quest is a three ring binder, accompanied by looseleaf paper and a folder to keep your notes handy. Even though you are not actually taking a Spanish class it is going to feel like it at times, and you are going to want to have a place to write down any notes and such regarding issues you have with the material, as well as a place to keep any printouts, pictures, etc. you stumble across. Keeping these items handy is going to go a long way towards helping you learn, as you can read over them when you have free time.

Tip #1: You are going to find yourself quickly forgetting what you have learned until it becomes a part of your daily life, so make an attempt to sit down for a half an hour every night and review your notes.