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So you're struggling in Spanish class? And you're feeling frustrated and discouraged in performing well? These are all perfectly normal sentiments to feel when learning a new language. Languages require a great deal of patience and commitment. As a person native in Spanish, I always considered Spanish class to be unchallenging and used the class as a study hall. My friends on the other hand thought the class to be demanding. They often had difficulty processing the language and struggled immensely. I often would go through class helping them better understand the material. Although having difficulties in a foreign language is completely understandable there are some golden strategies to better improve your language skills.
- Memorizing and Practicing Simple Phrases!
One of the most useful tools in learning a new language lies in vocabulary. So to improve your performance you should study basic essential phrases to help you practice the language. To execute this properly imagine you are traveling to a country that speaks only Spanish and wanted to know how to say some basic phrases. These phrases or questions could be "Hello", "How Are You?", or "How Old Are You?". Such phrases are commonly found in unit 1 of your class' textbook. Utilizing this unit as a reference can be very useful as well as using good listening skills with your instructor. As you progress through your course your instructor will more than likely repeat these basic phrases. It is in your best interest to follow along with them to ensure optimal pronunciation!
2. Everybody Makes Mistakes
Even I as a native speaker of Spanish will occasionally make mistakes with it. It is completely normal! As you are learning remind yourself that mistakes are vital components in the learning process. If you make a mistake ins peaking or writing the worse that will happen is you will be corrected. Learn to not perfect your use of the language but rather practice it in whatever way you can.
3. Integrate the language into Your Daily Life
One of the main reasons my friends struggled with Spanish is they were very unfamiliar with it. I as a native speaker am very accustomed to hearing the language sounds, but someone else would rightfully struggle to listen and hear them. To alleviate this issue consume lots of media in Spanish. Whether you're an avid movie-watcher or music listener chose to hear it in Spanish. This method has been studied in great detail and has been found to improve comprehension and listening skills tremendously. So the next time you want to watch your favorite show try playing it in Spanish!
These strategies can all be useful ways in enhancing your Spanish skills. The goal is simply to integrate these methods in some way every day in some sort of consistent pattern.
