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