{"id":69,"date":"2019-03-27T17:34:13","date_gmt":"2019-03-27T17:34:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sipuebla.com\/blog\/?p=69"},"modified":"2019-03-27T17:34:13","modified_gmt":"2019-03-27T17:34:13","slug":"how-to-learn-spanish-while-abroad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sipuebla.com\/blog\/how-to-learn-spanish-while-abroad\/","title":{"rendered":"How to learn Spanish while abroad"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

1. Take a Spanish Class While Abroad<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some\ntravelers and expats take it for granted that, if they live abroad long enough,\nthey\u2019ll eventually speak fluent Spanish. \u201cWhy would I bother taking a class?\u201d\nthey think. \u201cThe whole reason I came here was so I wouldn\u2019t have to do homework\nand boring grammar exercises!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately,\ntrying to learn a language purely through absorption often isn\u2019t enough,\nespecially for beginning learners. English is now a global language. Anywhere\nyou go, you\u2019ll find English learners eager to practice with you! In order to\nimmerse yourself in Spanish, you\u2019ll have to first jump over the hurdle of being\nable to communicate with others in Spanish better than they can communicate\nwith you in English. Otherwise, you\u2019ll likely end up speaking a lot more\nEnglish than you\u2019d like. Taking a class is a great way to get to that point\nmore quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally,\ntaking a Spanish class will help you nail down grammar and pronunciation\nspecifics that you might never pick up from conversation alone. And if you find\ngrammar drills incredibly boring, just think how exciting it will be to\ndirectly apply the concepts you learn in class to the world around you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There will\nbe a wealth of language schools in any vaguely touristy Spanish-speaking city\nyou visit. If your host country is Mexico, be sure to check out if your city\nhas an Spanish Language School.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or, check\nout this list of some of the best immersion programs in the Spanish-speaking\nworld.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Make Excuses to Strike Up Conversations<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Asking for\ndirections to a landmark instead of turning to my iPhone or map<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asking a\nwaiter to explain an unfamiliar menu item (way more fun than ordering the pollo\nasado con patatas every time you eat out!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asking a\nshopkeeper to recommend a good caf\u00e9 or bar in the area<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asking\nsomebody on the street to take your picture (more social than a selfie stick)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asking a\nflea market or crafts fair vendor about their product<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are\nall simple, quick interactions. But over time, these thirty-second\nconversations can build confidence and alleviate embarrassment of speaking a\nforeign language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may\nfeel silly or embarrassed at first talking to strangers in flawed Spanish. But\nconstant practice is the only way to get better, so take a deep breath and ask\naway!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Seek Out the Local Library<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Spanish\nbooks can be a great resource for learners who want to immerse themselves in\nSpanish but don\u2019t yet have the language ability to carry out a spoken\nconversation. When reading, you can pause, read carefully and utilize a\ndictionary, all while rapidly learning new vocabulary and reinforcing grammar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re\nconcerned you won\u2019t be able to follow a Spanish book, I\u2019d recommend a\nchildren\u2019s book to start. Books for young readers generally use simpler vocabulary\nand grammatical structures, and they have straightforward and engaging plots.\nAnother good option is to read a Spanish translation of a book you\u2019ve already\nread in English. That way, you\u2019ll be familiar with the plot and can focus on\nunderstanding new vocabulary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although\nyou could just as easily download these books to your Kindle app, I highly\nrecommend stopping by a physical library. Most libraries have a host of great\nnon-book resources to explore, such as movies, audio, newspapers and magazines.\nThese are all great ways to practice Spanish while getting a taste of local\nculture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. If You Can, Live with Spanish Speakers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After a\nlong day of work, sightseeing, volunteering, classes or whatever it is you do\nin your host country, it can be tempting to come home and just shut off. But\nliving with Spanish speakers means getting true immersion even while at home.\nThis constant reinforcement is far better for language learning than coming\nhome and watching two hours of American sitcoms on Netflix with your American\nflatmates before bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Living\nabroad and long-term travel are incredible opportunities for language learning\nand personal growth. But, as with any language learning plan, you won\u2019t see any\nresults without a strong personal effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get out there\nand get speaking, reading and listening. You\u2019ll be surprised at how fast your\nSpanish abilities will improve!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. Take a Spanish Class While Abroad Some travelers and expats take it for granted that, if they live abroad long enough, they\u2019ll eventually speak fluent Spanish. \u201cWhy would I bother taking a class?\u201d they think. \u201cThe whole reason I came here was so I wouldn\u2019t have to do homework and boring grammar exercises!\u201d Unfortunately, … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":71,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-69","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-espanol","category-resources"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sipuebla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sipuebla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sipuebla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sipuebla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sipuebla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sipuebla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":70,"href":"https:\/\/sipuebla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69\/revisions\/70"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sipuebla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sipuebla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sipuebla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sipuebla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}