Learning to speak Spanish fluently for free

Whether you’re a beginner or intermediate Spanish student, you may be wondering how long it will take to become fluent in the language. Here, New York, NY tutor Lauren P. shares her practice tips and recommendations to help you become a fluent Spanish speaker…

To determine how long it will take to speak Spanish fluently, you must first decide how much time you have every day to practice Spanish. The key words here are practice and every day. No scientific data can determine exactly how long it will take to speak Spanish fluently, but if you commit to a specific amount of practice every day, you can set a realistic time frame to reach your goal.

It’s not enough to just read a study guide or use learning software, you must actively practice listening and speaking the Spanish every single day. Our brains are meant to learn vocabulary and grammar naturally by listening to and speaking the language. Therefore, don’t spend all your time reading vocabulary lists and rules of conjugation. Instead, choose a small set of vocabulary or verb conjugations, and use the majority of your time making authentic sentences with these words. For example, spend one minute reviewing 10 household vocabulary words, and then use your remaining time to practice using those words in sentences. A great way to practice is to jot down several sentences throughout the day, and then spend your study time translating those sentences into Spanish. Since the human brain remembers details it finds meaningful and important, you will learn and retain the content of your real-life sentences better than a generic vocabulary list. Depending on how much time you have every day, use a Spanish guide with the following strategies to learn to speak Spanish fluently.

15 Minutes = Three Years

At the bare minimum, you can find 15 minutes a to study Spanish. It’s important to set specific daily goals instead of one long-term to goal. Spend two minutes reviewing a list of 10 related Spanish nouns, and three minutes conjugating one or two relevant verbs. By focusing on one vocabulary theme or category at a time, you will remember more than if you learned the words separately or in alphabetical order. Spend the remaining 10 minutes making up realistic sentences and questions with your list of nouns and verbs. Since sentences should be authentic, look up additional verbs as needed. Write the sentences and then practice saying them aloud. Record everything in a notebook so you can look back and review. Remember that speaking aloud is more important than reading and writing since your goal is to speak Spanish fluently.