Tips for Studying Spanish
Practice, practice, practice
What do football, soccer, basketball, golf, swimming, playing a musical instrument, singing, and drawing have in common? They are all things that many students like to do; they are also all things that get better with practice. Learning a language is no different. You learned your first language as a baby by listening and practicing the sounds and words Sometimes you made mistakes but you kept practicing until you got it right,
Repetition
Studies show that when learning a new language, you need to interact with a new word at least seven times before it will stick. These interactions need to be from all four language domains: listening, speaking, reading, writing. There also needs to be some time in between the repetitions; in other words, you can't just use a word seven times in one sitting and be "finished" with learning that word, because at that point it is only in your short-term memory and will be soon forgotten. You need to come back to it later that day, or the next day, or the next week. This spaced repetition helps the word to enter your long-term memory.
This means that it's not enough to sit in class and listen or to participate in only some of the activities.
You need to participate in all of the activities, and spend some time studying at home!
Find the Study Strategies that Work Best For You
Ways to Study On Your Own
What do football, soccer, basketball, golf, swimming, playing a musical instrument, singing, and drawing have in common? They are all things that many students like to do; they are also all things that get better with practice. Learning a language is no different. You learned your first language as a baby by listening and practicing the sounds and words Sometimes you made mistakes but you kept practicing until you got it right,
Repetition
Studies show that when learning a new language, you need to interact with a new word at least seven times before it will stick. These interactions need to be from all four language domains: listening, speaking, reading, writing. There also needs to be some time in between the repetitions; in other words, you can't just use a word seven times in one sitting and be "finished" with learning that word, because at that point it is only in your short-term memory and will be soon forgotten. You need to come back to it later that day, or the next day, or the next week. This spaced repetition helps the word to enter your long-term memory.
This means that it's not enough to sit in class and listen or to participate in only some of the activities.
You need to participate in all of the activities, and spend some time studying at home!
Find the Study Strategies that Work Best For You
- Below are many different suggestions for studying on your own or with a partner. Try them and see what works the best for you. Which strategies have the best results (you know the words better after doing it)? Which are more comfortable for you to do or more practical for your current situation?
- Find a time and place that works for you to study. For longer periods of studying, a quiet place with good lighting and no (or few) distractions is best. But keep in mind that some of the study strategies listed below can also be done while you are walking to school, or brushing your teeth, etc. - times and places that may not seem ideal, but that can work for short periods of study to help you remember words. The best strategy is usually to use a combination of methods and not rely on a single one.
Ways to Study On Your Own
- Get (or make) a list of the vocabulary words you need to study, with English on one side and Spanish on the other. Cover up the English column.
- Looking at the Spanish words, see if you can remember what they mean. Then check to see if you are correct. If there are a lot of words you don't know, study the list and then try again a while later, or try one of the other study methods for a while and then quiz yourself by doing this again.
- Cover up the Spanish column. Looking at the English words, see if you can remember how to say and spell them in Spanish. Then check to see if you are correct.
- Make flashcards with the English word on one side and the Spanish word on the other. Look at one side and see if you can remember the word in the opposite language. Then turn the cards over and do it again looking at the other language.
- Write the words down somewhere (on a paper, on post-it notes, etc) someplace where you will see them. Try repeating the words to yourself over and over several times throughout the week. This is an especially good strategy for those words that you really have trouble remembering. You can do this during short bits of time when you aren't otherwise doing anything. These are some good ideas for times when you might try this:
- When you are walking between classes
- When you are waiting for the bus or a ride
- When you are walking home
- When you are about to fall asleep at night
- When you first wake up in the morning
- When you are brushing your teeth
- Get (or make) a blank verb chart or cover up the verb forms in a chart from your notes. See if you can remember each of the five forms (six if you include the vosotros form). Check to see if you are right. Keep practicing until you can get all of the right on the first try.
- Play the practice review games that are part of our online textbook (in ClassLink).
Ways to Study With a Partner
Studying a Language Will Strengthen Your Brain!
Studies have shown that studying a new language can increase cognitive function, raise test scores, increase creativity, improve problem-solving and critical thinking skills, and strengthen brain power and mental health. People who know a second language are better at multi-tasking and at adapting to new situations. Some studies have suggested that learning a second language can even help to make the brain more resistant to Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia!
- Get (or make) a list of the vocabulary words you need to study, with English on one side and Spanish on the other. Ask your friend to say a Spanish word and have you give the English translation. When you have gone through the whole list, ask your friend to do it again, but this time your friend will say the English words and you will give the Spanish translations.
- If your study partner does not know Spanish, they can still help you with this by saying the English words. You will say the Spanish words and they will listen to you and try to figure out if what you have said matches the word they see on the list. This might help your friend learn some Spanish, too!
- Make flashcards with the English word on one side and the Spanish word on the other. Have your friend hold up the card showing one side, and you try to give the word on the other side.
- Practice speaking Spanish with a Spanish-speaker. Try to use as many words from class as you can. Think about the vocabulary topic that you are currently studying in class and try to find a way to work that topic into the discussion so that you can use a lot of the words you are studying.
Studying a Language Will Strengthen Your Brain!
Studies have shown that studying a new language can increase cognitive function, raise test scores, increase creativity, improve problem-solving and critical thinking skills, and strengthen brain power and mental health. People who know a second language are better at multi-tasking and at adapting to new situations. Some studies have suggested that learning a second language can even help to make the brain more resistant to Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia!
Last updated on August 8, 2021 / Reviewed August 5, 2022.