{"id":135478,"date":"2024-01-29T09:55:44","date_gmt":"2024-01-29T14:55:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/how-to-learn-spanish-by-yourself-faster\/"},"modified":"2025-02-17T19:29:22","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T00:29:22","slug":"how-to-learn-spanish-by-yourself-faster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/spanish\/how-to-learn-spanish-by-yourself-faster\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Learn Spanish (From a Seasoned Language Learner)"},"content":{"rendered":"

I learned to speak Spanish, and it took a long time and a lot of personal dedication.\u00a0The key is to throw yourself into the deep end\u2014in my case this was deciding to live abroad in Venezuela, but there are a ton of other ways to reach fluency.<\/p>\n

Today I will explain exactly how to learn Spanish using the same 18 techniques I used, from listening to Spanish music to chatting to language exchange partners.\u00a0<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1. Watch Movies and TV in Spanish\"\"<\/a><\/h2>\n

Time investment:<\/strong> Low<\/p>\n

Spanish films and TV are a great way to build your vocabulary while improving your comprehension.<\/p>\n

If you’re a beginner, try watching Spanish movies<\/a> with English subtitles. And once you’re beyond the beginner level, try watching Spanish movies with Spanish subtitles.<\/strong><\/p>\n

By reading and listening at the same time, I was really able to improve my pronunciation.<\/p>\n

Watching films also improves your knowledge of regional accents while you sample different Spanish-speaking cultures. Thankfully, two countries with the clearest Spanish accents\u2014Mexico and Spain\u2014are also the most prolific producers of Spanish language films.<\/p>\n

One of my all-time favorite Argentine movies from the ’80s is “Made in Argentina.<\/a>” I love listening to the Argentine accents in this movie and watching them drink mate<\/em> from their PH patios.<\/p>\n

YouTube is also a great resource to use if you prefer shorter content. And to get a mix of both, the FluentU Spanish YouTube channel<\/a> has lots of videos that use Spanish-dubbed episodes of popular TV shows\u2014like “Friends” and “The Big Bang Theory”\u2014as in-depth lessons. Like this one, for example:<\/p>\n

<\/lite-youtube><\/p>\n

2. Learn from Authentic Videos with FluentU<\/h2>\n

Time investment:<\/strong> Medium<\/p>\n

One of my favorite Spanish learning methods is watching videos for native speakers because this shows how the language is used in real life.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Spanish Immersion from Your Device<\/h2>\r\n

I get it\u2013learning Spanish isn\u2019t always a walk in the park. But it doesn\u2019t have to be a boring, tedious, or hair-pulling experience either. In fact, making it fun is key to your success!<\/p>\r\n

With FluentU, you can learn Spanish naturally by turning any YouTube or Netflix video with subtitles<\/strong> into an interactive language lesson. I\u2019m talking about language immersion from the convenience of your device.<\/p>\r\n

You can even import your favorite YouTube videos into your FluentU account to learn from them using the app or website. Or browse our curated library of videos<\/strong> handpicked for beginners and intermediate learners. <\/p>\r\n

\r\n\"FluentU-Spanish-video-library\"<\/a><\/p>\r\n

While you watch a video, FluentU\u2019s interactive subtitles<\/strong> let you tap on any word for an instant definition, example sentences, images, and audio. No more pausing and searching for translations\u2014everything you need is right there!<\/p>\r\n

\"FluentU-Spanish-video-with-interactive-subtitles\"<\/a><\/p>\r\n

It's all built to help you learn how to use words in real contexts. And as you learn, you can add new words to your flaschards<\/strong> with just a click! For example, if I tap on the word \"tiempo,\"<\/i> this is what pops up:\r\n

\r\n\"FluentU-Spanish-vocab\"<\/a><\/p>\r\n

Learn even faster with built-in quizzes<\/strong> that reinforce vocab from every video. FluentU tracks your progress, gives you extra practice with tricky words, and reminds you when it\u2019s time to review\u2014so your learning is always personalized and effective<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n

\"FluentU-Spanish-vocab-quiz\"<\/a><\/p>\r\n

Try FluentU today on your computer or tablet, or download our app from the App Store<\/a> or Google Play<\/a>. Click here to take advantage of our current sale!<\/strong><\/a> (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/p>\n

For me, FluentU has increased my confidence when I\u2019m not in a Spanish-speaking country and have little opportunity to talk with native speakers.<\/p>\n

3. Learn Grammar with Textbooks<\/h2>\n

Time investment:<\/strong> High<\/p>\n

Grammar is a technical and detailed topic, so it’s a subject that a textbook can handle more thoroughly than most resources. And doing the exercises in a textbook will help you solidify the rules in your brain.<\/p>\n

I found a really simple grammar book and CD for beginners called \u201cHugo Spanish in 3 Months<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was excellent for learning the basic tenses, prepositions and popular phrasal constructs. It also has explanations related to plurals<\/a> and gender<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s full of short explanations and exercises and all the answers are in the back of the book.<\/p>\n

I set aside one hour at the end of every day to go through the exercises.<\/strong> Whenever I came across a section that troubled me, I’d keep going back to repeat the exercises until the grammar began to sink in.<\/p>\n

Here are some more Spanish textbook recommendations:<\/p>\n

The 20 Best Spanish Textbooks in 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n