| Step 1: Get a Home Study Course There's just | | | | you can just turn on the English subtitles |
| no getting around the fact that you're going | | | | and sit there with your dictionary--the KEY |
| to have to spend some money on your own | | | | is to try to repeat everything you hear the |
| education if you're really serious about | | | | actors say! You know what you're saying since |
| learning Spanish especially if you're really | | | | you've got the subtitles on and if you do |
| in a hurry and don't have time to sample | | | | this enough you'll start to get certain |
| everything out there. Personally, for this | | | | little phrases, words, and patterns that are |
| purpose, I like Synergy Spanish (see bottom) | | | | common in daily conversation ingrained into |
| because it's specifically designed to get | | | | you. Step 4: Spanish Childrens Books These |
| someone has proficient in simple daily | | | | are great for teaching you basic Spanish |
| conversational Spanish as quickly as | | | | reading/writing skills because they're |
| possible, it can be completed in a few days | | | | specifically written for people with very |
| to a couple weeks (depending on how hard you | | | | limited vocabulary and language skills, |
| want to work at it) since it's only 68 | | | | aren't they? Except in our case it's adults |
| lessons that are 10 minutes long each, it's | | | | beginning to learn Spanish instead of young |
| only $49, and it's almost entirely audio (it | | | | Spanish-speaking children. They're available |
| does include an e-book) so you can listen to | | | | free down at your local public library OR |
| it in the car. Step 2: Talk to Yourself in | | | | online at places like: Step 5: Practice with |
| Spanish Carry a Spanish-English dictionary | | | | a Native Speaker! This is one of the most |
| with you everywhere you go (they make pocket | | | | important things you need to do for your |
| dictionaries so there's no excuse!), and | | | | Spanish and it's the one that people like to |
| whenever you're thinking or saying something | | | | avoid like the plague--look, if you need to |
| to yourself ('Where's the milk at?') try to | | | | prepare to talk with Spanish-speaking |
| remember to figure out how to say that same | | | | natives, what do you think one of the best |
| thing in Spanish ('¿Donde está la | | | | things is that you can do? How about actually |
| leche?')--you'll learn probably 20 or 30 new | | | | practicing your Spanish WITH a |
| phrases in Spanish everyday if you will just | | | | Spanish-speaking native? If you don't have |
| commit and do this consistently. Step 3: | | | | any friends that are native Spanish speakers |
| Watch Those Telenovelas (Spanish-language | | | | then there's lots of sites online like |
| soap operas)! If you get cable or satellite I | | | | Friends Abroad where you can meet someone |
| can almost guarantee you that you get a | | | | online who's from a Latin American country |
| Spanish/Latino channel that plays these | | | | and needs someone to practice their English |
| things all day long (they're VERY popular in | | | | with and will be glad to help you with your |
| Latin America, much more so than our soaps); | | | | Spanish in return. |