Want to learn Spanish? It's easier than you think!

For many people, learning Spanish can seem quite daunting at first. And if you've ever tried in the past, you'll know there's more to speaking a language than by simply reading some phrases from a book. So what's the secret to learning a new language?

The very first thing I teach my students is how to pronounce the native Spanish sounds correctly. This is known as the "linguistic approach" - where your education begins with the basic sounds all words and phrases are formed with, until eventually you can easily construct entire sentences on the fly. If you don't master the basic sounds straight away then no matter how many words you can memorize, you will never be able to speak clearly. And that's a huge problem!

Now I'll agree that learning from a book can be great, and it's by far the best way to learn your grammar as well as how to understand the written language. However, as soon as you try to learn how to speak from a book, you'll quickly struggle to communicate with the locals. You see, one of the most common complaints with Spanish is that the natives speak so fast! If you don't have a grasp on the basic sounds first, then forget it.

So how do you overcome the problems of learning Spanish from a book? You must listen to the spoken words as you read along with them. Learning from a native Spanish speaker will rapidly increase your understanding and comprehension. And while learning in a classroom may seem like a good place to start, it's actually much better to get your hands on a home study course.

You see, when you learn in a classroom environment, you only get to hear the Spanish words once a week. And at that pace, it will take you years to master any level of conversational skills. The real secret to learning Spanish quickly is through repetition and daily practice. With a home study course, you can listen to the words in your car or on your MP3 player every day of the week. So unless you take up an immersion course in a Spanish speaking country, this is by far the cheapest and most effective way of learning.

A great place to start is with one of the many online audio courses that are available. But be careful when selecting a course. While there are many good courses you can buy, there's also an equal amount of junk floating around. One quick way to know if the course is worth taking is from the feedback of previous customers. The good courses also offer free trials and samples of their audio files, so make sure you sign up to their newsletter before you buy.

So remember to master the basics first rather than jumping ahead of yourself. It's much easier to spend a few more days at the beginning rather than finding out months later that you need to relearn everything. Learning Spanish really is much easier this way, and you'll find yourself speaking confidently before you know it.
by Alejandro Cruz