Learning a second language is a choice that opens the door to a lot of opportunities. Many times, however, outdated textbook methodology and rigid teaching methods compromise student’s motivation. For this reason, here we teach you how to learn Italian and Spanish in an easy and fun way.
Tips for learning Italian and Spanish
For many people, learning Italian or Spanish seems almost like a mission impossible. On the contrary, we have enough experience to assure you that this is not the case, since there is an infinite number of tools and techniques that make self-taught learning easy and fun. So, just follow our tips:
Listen to music
Indeed, this is one of the most effective strategies for learning Italian and Spanish in an easy and fun way. In fact, music will allow you to stimulate your mind and increase your motivation to study Italian or Spanish.
Translate the lyrics of your favorite songs
Certainly, translating the lyrics of the songs you like brings an infinite number of advantages. First, you will find out what it means what you sing in your everyday life, and you also will learn more about the performers you like. As a result, you will learn various expressions in the language you are studying, both in terms of grammar and pronunciation.
Sing like a karaoke
Learning a few songs and singing them like in a karaoke will allow you to become uninhibited and increase your fluency in the foreign language. In this regard, tools like FluentU and Lyrics Training are ideal for learning the lyrics of your favorite songs in Italian and Spanish.
This practice will allow you to practice with intonations and verbal skills, while you will have fun and relax with the music.
Practice every day
A simple exercise that will allow you to strengthen your vocabulary is to learn ten new words a day. Usually, with a basic or intermediate level of Italian or Spanish, when you get caught up in a conversation, you tend to use the same words and expressions.
Use learning resources for children
If you practice with Italian or Spanish books and manuals for children you will have the opportunity to learn faster than with traditional books for adults. And that is because they use simpler language and compelling lyrics.
Playing interactive video games for kids is also a good resource for learning Italian or Spanish easily.
Practice conversing with your friends
The Internet offers a great opportunity to realise conversations with other people. Hence, you can find Italian or Spanish speaking people to practice your speaking skills. You can do this through chats, Skype or Zoom conversations, among the many communication tools.
Also, we recommend that you visit Conversation Exchange, a free website for language exchange. In this sense, the language exchange offers you the opportunity to improve your Italian and Spanish skills with a native speaker, while you teach them English. In this perspective, collaborative learning is achieved for both.
Learn Italian and Spanish by watching movies
Nowadays there are tons of Italian and Spanish films that will help you improve your pronunciation, intonation, and vocabulary. Therefore, we recommend that you see a modern classic or a classic movie.
At the beginning you will have to choose the subtitles in English and perhaps you will have the impression of having to focus more on the text than on the image. Nevertheless, with a little patience you will see results. With practice and based on your results, you will be able to progressively replace the subtitles in English with those in Italian or Spanish.
Expressions and gestures of the actors will allow you to understand the meaning of the conversations.
Learn Italian and Spanish with FluentU
Through authentic videos, the FluentU digital application allows you to learn Italian and Spanish in a fun way with TV programs, news and advertisements.
This tool adds interactive subtitles that show you the meaning of any word, with examples of use.
In learning mode, FluentU offers rewarding experiences to develop your communication skills and boost your vocabulary. It is important to point out that the videos can be selected based on the words you are learning.
Listen to podcasts
Audio format files, such as podcasts, allow you to take advantage of times when you must travel, for example, to go to work. They are easy to use and free. They allow you to improve your listening comprehension.
Among the most relevant podcasts for learning Italian, we mention News in Slow Italian, Learn Italian Pod, Coffee Break Italian, Eye on Italy, ItalianPod101, among many others. And for Spanish, you can check Let’s Speak Spanish, ¡Hablemos Español!, Language Treks, Spanish Obsessed, Lightspeed Spanish, Coffee Break Spanish, Radio Lingua, Notes in Spanish, among others.
