How to Speak Spanish

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Categories: Languages | Education | How Tos

  • If you're looking to learn a new language, keep in mind that the Spanish-speaking world is incredibly vast within the Western Hemisphere. This page will walk you through the basic steps for learning how to speak one of the major languages of the world. The information will follow standard Spanish language rules, but you may encounter varying accents. Unless otherwise noted, what you will learn can be safely used anywhere.

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  • Before You Begin

    1. First look at why you're learning Spanish and how much time you have before you must speak the language properly. If it's for a vacation, a few key phrases you study for ten minutes a day may suffice. Even knowing just a few words will help you communicate, and understand what others are saying to you.
    2. To speak, read, or write on a higher level, lessons with audio and written elements are necessary. And to get the best return on these lessons, studying the language regularly is important.
    3. No matter what your speaking level is, take advantage of any chance you get to practice your Spanish, however the occasion arises. Speaking (and understanding what is said to you) may be hard at first, but it will get easier with every word.

  • Basic Phrases

    Try studying with Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek

  • BBC Essential Phrases

    1. Visit the BBC's page of essential Spanish phrases.
    2. Listen to the phrases as you read along (listen to some BBC MP3s here).
    3. Download the audio so you can listen to the phrases as often as possible.
      • Import them into your iPod or MP3 player so you can learn the language on the go!
    4. Say the phrases along with the audio as you listen.
    5. Record yourself to hear how you sound.
    6. Print out the page of key phrases so you can take them with you!
    Learn a key Spanish word with Sesame Street

  • LanguageGuide.org's Los Saludos

    1. Visit this page to hear greetings in Spanish.
    2. Hold your mouse over any word in Spanish and you'll hear the word.
    3. Or you can press play and listen to all the words and phrases being said one after the other.
    4. Practice saying the words, both along with the audio and on your own.

  • Indo-European Languages Basic Phrases

    1. Check out this page for a comprehensive list of basic phrases.
    2. Although there are no audio files, you can use the provided phonetic pronunciation to learn how to speak them yourself.
    3. Print the page out to take with you; having the pronunciation in front of you could come in handy!

  • Pronunciation Tips

    1. Indo-European Languages has some Spanish pronunciation tips.
    2. Also visit BBC's Spanish Steps sounds of Spanish page
    3. Remember:
      • "QU" is said as "K"; ex. qué - keh
      • "LL" is pronounced "Y"; ex. llamo - yah-moh
      • "Ñ" sounds like "NY"; ex. español - eh-spahn-yol

  • BBC's Spanish Steps

    BBC's Spanish Steps Front Page
    BBC's Spanish Steps Front Page
    1. BBC Spanish Steps is a six stage course set up to teach beginners important speaking and language lessons.
    2. Dialogues cover common speaking situations, like taxi rides, going out to eat, and shopping.
    3. First choose and listen to a dialogue.
    4. Study the key words from that dialogue.
    5. Go through the activities to reinforce what was just said:
      • Activity 1 has you rearrange lines of dialogue into the proper order.
      • You guess the meanings of key words from the dialogue in Activity 2.
      • Activity 3 involves listening comprehension based on words you just learned.
      • In Activity 4 you actively participate, by saying and then writing responses to the dialogue.
    6. Need to refresh your memory? Go to the course's vocabulary list!

  • Expert Village: Learn How to Speak Spanish

    1. This video series is a way to review common phrases.
    2. Choose a topic, such as airport travel, dealing with money, or romantic phrases.
    3. Click on the topic. The video will play (occasionally prefaced by a short ad).
    4. Listen to Mixitxu Etxeberria, a fluent speaker, say the phrases. She will first state the phrase in English, then in Spanish.
    5. After her second reading, she will say the phrase more slowly. Repeat after her. The phrase is written on the screen in Spanish to help you!

  • BBC's Talk Spanish

    1. The BBC has another great learning and speaking resource in Talk Spanish.
    2. Choose one of the 12 topics.
    3. Watch the video(s) on that topic.
    4. After watching the video, test yourself with the activities in the second section.
    5. You can then download a worksheet and practice your written comprehension of the words you've just heard and read.

  • Espacios públicos

    1. Also visit Espacios públicos, a 20 hour, introductory open-learning course.
    2. A free registration lets you participate in online forums on this course.
    3. Read the Introduction for each lesson.
    4. Click through the pages, reviewing lessons and listening to the provided audio files.
    5. Work on the activities throughout the course, then check your answers to see what you've understood.

  • Colby College's Spanish Grammar Exercises

    1. Choose one of the listed exercises in a language subject area you want to learn or review.
    2. Fill in the blanks for the lesson.
    3. You can check your answers by choosing the ? or correct buttons.
    4. The study modules on the left also provide more learning opportunities.
    5. Watch videos or listen to songs that relate to the daily life and culture of people in the Spanish-speaking world.
      • Many of these exercises let you click on a word to learn its meaning.
    6. Test what you've learned with the practice exercises after each module.

  • LanguageGuide.org's Grammar Section

    1. This site provides a means to study verb conjugations.
    2. Click on the speaker button to hear audio files of the conjugations.
    3. There are sections for irregular verbs and different verb tenses.
    4. In the practice section test how well you know the conjugations!
    5. You can also review your understanding of Spanish grammar here.
    6. What words of "El Corazón" can you understand?

  • Con mis propias manos

    1. Con mis propias manos is an easy-to-follow intermediate course.
    2. Free registration lets you participate in online forums for this open-learning course.
    3. Learn about Spanish and Latin American arts and crafts as you explore each section and listen to the audio files.
    4. Study them in order, working on the exercises as you go along.
    5. Check your answers at the bottom of each page to see what you've learned!

  • Centro Virtual Cervantes

    1. Go to lecturas paso a paso to read different texts in the original language.
    2. Choose a level of difficulty: inicial, intermedio, or avanzado (beginning, intermediate, or advanced).
    3. Choose a text to read.
    4. Review the antes de leer page before reading the selection.
    5. Read the text.
    6. Then visit the despué s de leer section and use the activities to check your reading comprehension.

  • BBC Better@Listening

    1. The language you learn in a classroom does not always match up with how native speakers talk. Sentences are spoken faster, words are elided, and accents can vary in day-to-day speaking.
    2. If you know the words for numbers, time, and food, test your comprehension with these presentations in "real life" Spanish.
    3. You have up to three chances to listen to each person and fill in the correct information.
    4. If you didn't get everything right, use the "Improve Your Score" option. Some pieces of information are provided now so you can concentrate on hearing the key words.

  • CALL Project - Juan Manuel Soto Arriví

    1. These exercises test your ability with more complex tasks in the language: verbs, pronouns, prepositions, and translation.
    2. Choose an area you need to learn or review.
    3. Use the drop-down menu to select an exercise.
    4. The instructions are entirely in Spanish, so make sure you understand enough to take advantage of the materials!
    5. Test your expertise by watching the short film "DVD," directed by Ciro Altabás

  • BBC Cool Spanish

    1. The BBC's Cool Spanish has tips on how to argue, talk about technology, discuss religion, and many other more complicated speaking situations-- all using informal words.
      • Note that while some of these expressions may translate to Latin America, they are mostly from Spain.
    2. Listen to the audio files while reading along.
      • Follow the helpful codes to learn when something is familiar, very familiar, vulgar, or just plain rude.
    3. Download the MP3s and listen on your own whenever you can.
    4. Review meanings with a print-out of phrases from each section.

  • The Alternative Spanish Dictionary

    1. To learn more slang phrases, check out this dictionary.
    2. Browse the definitions to learn what words not to say!

  • BBC Spanish Crosswords

    1. Have fun with the BBC's interactive Spanish crosswords.

  • BBC Costa Amor

    1. In the BBC's Costa Amor, you can immerse yourself in the flow of the language by watching an online soap opera!
    2. There are 32 "action-packed" dialogues, which you can read along with (or understand with the English translations!).
    3. Don't wait to find out if Dave and Carmen manage to find true love!

  • Spanish Survival Guide

    1. Switchpod has Spanish Survival Guide podcasts.
    2. Each podcast includes key phrases in the language.
    3. The podcast pauses after introducing each word and phrase, so you can repeat them and either learn or practice proper pronunciation.
    4. You can listen to these podcasts online, or you can download them to review your new speaking skills as often as possible!

  • Coffee Break Spanish

    1. This podcast offers lessons on proper language for use in brief conversations.
    2. You can listen online or download the MP3s.
    3. You have the option to subscribe, for a fee, to access more course materials.

  • Rojas Spanish Language

    1. These podcasts are entirely in Spanish, so they are appropriate for intermediate or advanced speakers.
    2. Download the PDF files so you have a transcript of the podcast.
    3. Then listen to the podcast, either online or by subscribing to the podcast.
    4. Review the transcript to check what you've already understood or newly-learned.

  • More Learning Tips

    1. Many first-run television shows are dubbed into Spanish. Use the SAP button on your TV remote to find the Spanish audio channel.
    2. Watch programming from Spanish-language television stations, such as:
    3. Watch online clips of Betty la Fea (the original-language version of Ugly Betty).
    4. Tune to Spanish-language radio stations while driving in the car.
    5. Listen to songs in Spanish and try to understand the lyrics.
    6. Read online newspapers like La Opinión.
    7. Proyecto Sherezade offers stories by authors from around the world; read them and see what you understand.
    8. Blogs like the one at Tomísimo offer encouragement to study the language, and also post interesting photos and cultural insights.

  • Resources for Studying Spanish

    1. You can watch college-level videos, Destinos: An Introduction to Spanish, after registering on the site. Watch, listen and learn!
    2. Tomísimo has a Spanish-English dictionary, where you can enter words in either English or Spanish to check their meanings.
    3. Also try the Real Academia Española's online dictionaries, where you can look up words and get their definitions in Spanish, as well as seeing usage examples.
    4. Check out Verbix's verb conjugator to display all possible conjugations for the Spanish verbs you're studying.
    5. Bowdoin College has placed an overview of Spanish grammar online.
    6. Indo-European languages has Spanish lessons and vocubulary.
      • Also check out Mahalo's Guide to the Spanish language

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