How to Speak Spanish

If you're looking to learn a new language, you may want to consider Spanish. It is the second most used language on Earth and is spoken by an estimated 332 million people and is used in 20 different countries.http://www2.ignatius.edu/faculty/turner/languages.htm

This page about how to speak Spanish 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.

Instructional speaker Morgan covers different greetings based on the time of day. Morgan offers instruction on saying a basic hello (Hola - pronounced "ola"), phrases for morning (buenos dios), afternoon (buenas noches), and evening (buenas noches). He also tells how to say "What's going on?"

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. 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, no matter what occasion arises. Speaking (and understanding what is said to you) may be hard at first, but it will get easier with every word.

BBC Essential Phrases

1. Visit the BBC's page of essential Spanish phrases.http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/quickfix/index.shtml
2. Listen to the phrases as you read along.http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/quickfix/mp3/spanish_basics.mp3
3. Download the audio so you can listen to the phrases as often as possible.
4. Import them into your iPod or MP3 player so you can learn the language on the go!
5. Say the phrases along with the audio as you listen.
6. Record yourself to hear how you sound.
7. Print out the page of key phrases so you can take them with you!

LanguageGuide.org's Los Saludos

1. Visit LanguageGuide to hear greetings in Spanish.http://www.languageguide.org/txt/common/esp/
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. Visit the Indo-European Languages website for a comprehensive list of basic phrases.http://www.ielanguages.com/spanish1.html
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!

Fodor's Sample Audio Phrases

1. Hello: Holahttp://www.fodors.com/language/livlang/sounds/Spanish/s011hola.wav
2. Good-bye: Adióshttp://www.fodors.com/language/livlang/sounds/Spanish/s012ds.wav
3. Please: Por favorhttp://www.fodors.com/language/livlang/sounds/Spanish/s001prfv.wav
4. Thank you: Graciashttp://www.fodors.com/language/livlang/sounds/Spanish/s002grac.wav
5. How much does it cost?: Cuánto cuesta?http://www.fodors.com/language/livlang/sounds/Spanish/s447cntc.wav
6. Where is...?: Dónde está...?http://www.fodors.com/language/livlang/sounds/Spanish/s026dnds.wav
7. Do you speak English: Habla usted inglés?http://www.fodors.com/language/livlang/sounds/Spanish/s017hbng.wav
8. Would you bring me the bill, please?: Me da la cuenta, por favor?http://www.fodors.com/language/livlang/sounds/Spanish/s314cnt.wav

Indo-European Languages has some Spanish pronunciation tips.http://www.ielanguages.com/spanish1.html#pronunciation You can also visit BBC's Spanish Steps sounds of Spanish page.http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/lj/language_notes/spanish_sounds.shtml

Remember:

1. "QU" is said as "K"; ex. qué - keh
2. "LL" is pronounced "Y"; ex. llamo - yah-moh
3. "Ñ" sounds like "NY"; ex. español - eh-spahn-yol

BBC's Spanish Steps

BBC Spanish Steps is a six stage course set up to teach beginners important speaking and language lessons.http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/lj/index.shtml Practice conversations cover common speaking situations, like taxi rides, going out to eat, and shopping.http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/lj/syllabus.shtml

1. First choose and listen to a dialogue.
2. Study the key words from that dialogue.
3. 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.

Need to refresh your memory? Go to the course's vocabulary list!http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/lj/glossary/s_e_a.shtml

Expert Village: Learn How to Speak Spanish

This video series is a way to review common phrases.http://www.expertvillage.com/videos/spanish-communication-difficulties.htm

1. Choose a topic, such as airport travel, dealing with money, or romantic phrases.
2. Click on the topic. The video will play (occasionally prefaced by a short ad).
3. Listen to Mixitxu Etxeberria, a fluent speaker, say the phrases. She will first state the phrase in English, then in Spanish.
4. 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

The BBC has another great learning and speaking resource in Talk Spanish.http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/talk/

1. Choose one of the 12 topics.
2. Watch the video(s) on that topic.
3. A column on the right of each video has the dialogue written out in Spanish, with an English translation as well.
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 publicos

You can also visit Espacios públicos, a 20 hour, introductory open-learning course.http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=2439 A free registration lets you participate in online forums on this course.

1. Read the Introduction for each lesson.
2. Click through the pages, reviewing lessons and listening to the provided audio files.
3. 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.http://www.colby.edu/~bknelson/exercises/
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.
6. Many of these exercises let you click on a word to learn its meaning.
7. Test what you've learned with the practice exercises after each module.

LanguageGuide.org's Grammar Section

This site provides a means to study verb conjugations.http://www.languageguide.org/espanol/conju/

1. Click on the speaker button to hear audio files of the conjugations.
2. There are sections for irregular verbs and different verb tenses.
3. In the practice section test how well you know the conjugations.http://www.languageguide.org/espanol/conju/practice.html
4. You can also review your understanding of Spanish grammar.http://www.languageguide.org/espanol/grammar/

Con mis propias manos

Con mis propias manos is an easy-to-follow intermediate course. Free registration lets you participate in online forums for this open-learning course.http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=2610

1. Learn about Spanish and Latin American arts and crafts as you explore each section and listen to the audio files.
2. Study them in order, working on the exercises as you go along.
3. 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.http://cvc.cervantes.es/aula/lecturas/
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

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. This site gives you a chance to hear conversational Spanish.http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/listening/

1. If you know the words for numbers, time, and food, test your comprehension with these presentations in "real life" Spanish.
2. You have up to three chances to listen to each person and fill in the correct information.
3. 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

These exercises test your ability with more complex tasks in the language: verbs, pronouns, prepositions, and translation.http://www.indiana.edu/~call/ejercicios.html

1. Choose an area you need to learn or review.
2. Use the drop-down menu to select an exercise.
3. The instructions are entirely in Spanish, so make sure you understand enough to take advantage of the materials!

BBC Cool Spanish

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.http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/cool/

1. Listen to the audio files while reading along.
2. 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.http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/cool/food_drinks.shtml

The Alternative Spanish Dictionary

To learn more slang phrases, check out this dictionary. Browse the definitions to learn what words not to say!http://www.notam02.no/~hcholm/altlang/ht/Spanish.html

BBC Spanish Crosswords

Have fun with the BBC's interactive Spanish crosswords.http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/news/crossword/flash/

BBC Costa Amor

In the BBC's Costa Amor, you can immerse yourself in the flow of the language by watching an online soap opera! There are 32 "action-packed" dialogues, which you can read along with (or understand with the English translations!). Don't wait to find out if Dave and Carmen manage to find true love!http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/soap/index.shtml

Spanish Survival Guide

Switchpod has Spanish Survival Guide podcasts. Each podcast includes key phrases in the language. The podcast pauses after introducing each word and phrase, so you can repeat them and either learn or practice proper pronunciation. You can listen to these podcasts online, or you can download them to review your new speaking skills as often as possible!http://www.switchpod.com/cats.php?a=3171

Coffee Break Spanish

This podcast offers lessons on proper language for use in brief conversations. You can listen online or download the MP3s. You have the option to subscribe, for a fee, to access more course materials.http://coffeebreakspanish.typepad.com/coffee_break_spanish/podcast/index.html

Rojas Spanish Language

These podcasts are entirely in Spanish, so they are appropriate for intermediate or advanced speakers. Download the PDF files so you have a transcript of the podcast. Then listen to the podcast, either online or by subscribing to the podcast. Review the transcript to check what you've already understood or have recently learned.http://www.rojasspanish.com/podcastpage.htm

1. Many first-run television shows are dubbed into Spanish. Use the SAP (second audio program) button on your TV remote to find the Spanish audio channel.
2. Watch programming from Spanish-language television stations, such as:
   • Telemundohttp://nbcumv.com/telemundo/listings.nbc
   • Univisionhttp://www.univision.com/content/channel.jhtml;jsessionid=FUCLAM544FR4SCWIABTCFFQKZAABUIWC?chid=6
   • Discovery en Españolhttp://enespanol.discovery.com/
   • Fox Sports en Españolhttp://msn.foxsports.com/fse
   • CNN en Españolhttp://edition.cnn.com/espanol/
   • MTV Tr3shttp://www.mtvtr3s.com/
   • Azteca Americahttp://aztecaamerica.terra.com/
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.http://www.laopinion.com/
7. Proyecto Sherezade offers stories by authors from around the world; read them and see what you understand.http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/%7Efernand4/
8. Blogs like the one at Tomísimo offer encouragement to study the language, and also post interesting photos and cultural insights.http://www.tomisimo.org/blog/

Check out these other helpful How To pages to learn more about speaking Spanish.

1. How to Ask How Much in Spanish
2. How to Ask Someones Name in Spanish
3. How to Ask Where in Spanish
4. How to Say Excuse Me in Spanish
5. How to Say Good in Spanish
6. How to Say Good to Meet You in Spanish
7. How to Say Goodbye in Spanish
8. How to Say Hello in Spanish
9. How to Say I had a Good Time in Spanish
10. How to Say Please in Spanish
11. How to Say Thank You in Spanish
12. How to Say Your Name in Spanish
13. How to Say I Want to Buy in Spanish
14. How to Count in Spanish
15. How to Say I Don't Speak in Spanish
16. How to Say I Don't Understand in Spanish
17. How to Say How Are You in Spanish
18. How to Say Do You Speak English in Spanish
19. How to Say Where is the Telephone in Spanish
20. How to Say Where is the Bathroom in Spanish
21. How to Say Where is a Good Restaurant in Spanish
22. How to Say This Food is Good in Spanish
23. How to Say Goodnight in Spanish