Studying a language is difficult at the best of times, but does learning a language during the coronavirus pandemic make it even harder?? The simple answer is no.
One thing that this virus has left us with is lots of free time, so why not take this opportunity to do something productive, fun, and that increases your skill set. Learning a language is one of the best things you can do to improve your memory and boost your brain power, but also it is a creative and pleasurable way to fill your time.
The core pillars to learning a language are listening, reading, writing and comprehension, all of which you can improve from the comfort of your own home. So if you are stuck for things to do and left twiddling your thumbs, picking up a language you have either studied years ago OR if you are a complete beginner then I can guarantee you will LOVE starting Spanish now!
Here are some tips below for studying Spanish during covid-19 (most of which can be done at home).
Tips:
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1. Study at a language school (Inhispania)
Linguist experts and educators say the best way to learn a new language is to converse directly with the instructor or native speaker, ideally in the same physical space.
When it comes to learning a language, nothing compares to the in-person experience, and at Inhispania we have many Spanish courses to choose from: intensive language courses, evening classes or tailor-made private classes suited to your needs.
The school is located in the heart of Madrid, just off Gran Vía, and courses are available for all levels from A1 (beginners level) to C1 (advanced), running Monday to Friday, and are offered throughout the whole year.
If you are interested in finding out more information about our Spanish courses email us at: info@inhispania.com
2. Online classes with Inhispania
If you cannot go to school to learn Spanish, we will bring your Spanish class to your home!
At Inhispania, we also offer online classes which you can take comfortably from the convenience of your home. These live, online Spanish classes are performed by highly qualified native Spanish teachers in live stream from Madrid. These classes can be in the form of interactive group lessons, or one-to-one individual classes.
To join the live Spanish classes you only need a smartphone, tablet or computer with a camera and microphone, and an internet connection. At the scheduled time your live Spanish class will begin. On your screen you will see your teacher (connected from Madrid) and your other class mates (connected from their own countries). Your teacher will email you all the necessary materials in advance, so everything is ready to learn Spanish online!
You will see how you progress rapidly in your learning of Spanish, since the classes are mainly aimed at improving your speaking skills, by means of conversational exercises on current topics based on the particular interests of the group. As our students are connected from different countries, you will not only have access to improve your Spanish online but also to meet people of various nationalities and cultures. Fun is absolutely guaranteed!
3. Watching TV series/ movies: listening
To supplement your Spanish lessons, it is important to practice Spanish outside of class, so why not start a fantastic Spanish series or one filmed in Spanish on Netflix or Amazon Prime?
Watching a show in Spanish is a great way to enhance you listening comprehension, for consolidating your knowledge of vocabulary, and for picking up Spanish slang and informal language that you might not be otherwise exposed to.
Not only is watching films and series in Spanish a fun and enjoyable form of studying, it really is a great way to improve you language abilities!
My top Spanish TV series: La Casa de Papel, Vis a Vis, elite, La Casa de las Flores
Spanish Films: there are hundreds of incredible Spanish Films on Netflix and Amazon Prime so start searching now! Why not set your Netflix into Spanish?
4. Read the Spanish news, or a book: reading
Reading the news in Spanish is not only a good way to stay on top of current affairs and what is going on in the Spanish news, but is it a great way you read Spanish every day. It will soon become a habit and you won’t even be aware that you’re reading in Spanish.
I would encourage you to take your time, don’t rush and eventually you will find yourself naturally easing into the language.
At first, if you are reading a Spanish article I wouldn’t recommend looking up every word you are unsure of, as not only is this tedious but also you will quickly lose interest in the activity. Make sure that you understand the overall context, rather than every single sentence or word. The more you read, the more you will recongise words and the more you will become familiar with them, thus the less you will find yourself checking up words online or in a dictionary, and the easier reading in Spanish will be.
If you really want to level up your Spanish, start reading a Spanish book!! Do you have a favourite book?? Why not try reading it in Spanish! Even buying something such as a Spanish cookbook is a fantastic way of expanding your gastronomical vocabulary, as well as making cooking that little bit more fun!
5. Listen to Spanish songs/ radio/youtubers: listening
There are many ways other than watching TV to improve your listening skills. Listening to reggaeton or songs in Spanish is one of the most popular ways to do so. Artists such Nicky Jam, Bad Bunny, Daddy Yankee, J Balvin, Don Omar and Manu Chao is a good place to start.
Additionally, listening to the Spanish radio (although it might sound daunting at first) is a good way to tune your ears into the language. It is an easy, unobtrusive and entertaining way of learning Spanish when you are driving, on a walk, or doing chores around the house. Radio Nacional de España or Cadena SER are the main radio talk shows in Spain.
Along the same lines, Spanish podcasts are another convenient way of learning Spanish on the move. There are many free podcasts on Spotify as well as Apple podcasts for all abilities (from beginner to advanced), so you can subscribe to those that interest you the most; whether it’s those that focus on Spanish grammar, or perhaps those that are more chatty, or maybe one that is educational or news based.
Finally, if you’re a Youtube addict then this is the one for you! Watching and subscribing to Spanish youtubers is a perfect and engaging approach to enhance your language skills, vocabulary and listening comprehension. Below are some of my favourite vloggers that focus on beauty, the news, and are also very educational!
Top Spanish Youtubers: SuperHolly, La gata de Schrodinger, Juanpa Zurita, CaELIKE
