What Makes A Good Spanish Student?

What Makes a Good Spanish Student?

by

Nancy Coleman

There are several factors that add up to create a good Spanish student. Having been a language teacher and language learner for many years I have seen first hand many different learners: I have seen people excel in language learning and for various reasons I have seen people stagnate in their learning. If you want to learn Spanish in the most effective and efficient manner, then follow this advice to become a super student and you will impress your teacher with your Spanish before you know it.

The first thing to remember when you are learning Spanish is that practice makes perfect. You have to get over any inhibitions you have or any fears that you hold about sounding dumb or making a mistake. The first thing I always tell my language students is that I expect them and I want them to make mistakes. If you were perfect at Spanish already, you wouldn’t be studying would you? So forget about your shyness and put your all into communicating in Spanish with your class mates and your teacher. Another key component to being a good Spanish student is this: you are responsible for your own learning. Unfortunately there is no Spanish chip that your teacher can insert into your brain, nor can they open up your brain and pour a jug of Spanish in there. A teacher is a facilitator and they give you the tools to learn Spanish with, but they cannot force you to learn. You still have to do the hard work yourself and that means coming to class with a great attitude, completing your homework and asking questions. Following your class you should always review the lesson objectives and your notes while it is fresh in your brain. It normally takes us a couple of goes at something to really have it sink in. If you learn something in class one day and you never revisit it, chances are you are not going to remember it or be able to use it effectively. If you had trouble with the class objective, then find other resources that explain the point in a different way. You can find everything on the Internet and there are generally worksheets or on line exercises to accompany explanations. A good Spanish student includes Spanish in their daily lives. They do not just go to class one hour a week and forget about their learning for the rest of the time. There are many things you can do to advance your learning everyday. Instead of reading the newspaper in English read a Spanish on line newspaper; switch your Internet search engine to Spanish; change your cell phone to Spanish language; seek out extra worksheets and exercises on the last lesson objective to reinforce your understanding; write a journal in Spanish. There are many, many different things you can do to make Spanish a part of your life. Making connections outside of the classroom is another trick that good Spanish students employ. Find a Spanish speaker to do a language exchange with either in person or on line. One day you can chat in Spanish and the next in English. Find friends to chat with on Messenger in Spanish, or even start a conversation club with some of your class mates. Chances are there are Spanish clubs close to your home where Spanish speaking people meet to socialize. Don’t be shy, find out when they have events and go along. If you simply rely on a weekly class to develop your Spanish skills, it is going to be a very slow road to fluency indeed. The key to being a good language student is giving your best in class and then seeking opportunities outside of the class to practice and hone your skills. Learn Spanish – Free Spanish Lessons Audio and video, grammar lessons, pronunciation guide, verb tables and much more. Learn Spanish Software Products

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What Makes a Good Spanish Student?