HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF IN SPANISH WHEN YOU DON’T LIVE ABROAD

One of the most talked about steps involved in learning a new language, like Spanish, is participating in a study abroad programme. After all, one of the best ways to improve your Spanish language-speaking skills is to immerse yourself in the culture. Living in a country like Spain, you are constantly surrounded by Spanish each and every day. You hear it, you read it, you write it, and you speak it. What better way to learn Spanish, right?

Well, the good news is that you don’t have to spend a fortune (or any money at all) immersing yourself in Spanish. Not all of us can spend a few weeks or months in Spain or Chile or Argentina, or any other Spanish-speaking country and that’s ok. Just by making a few small changes in your life, you can create an immersive environment right where you live. Comligo can also be very helpful for those who are looking for specific Spanish-learning courses.

Here are a few tips for children and teenagers or adults who are looking to immerse themselves in Spanish.

Young learners

If you have a young child or children who are busy learning Spanish, here are a few ways that you could help immerse them in Spanish.

Games

If you can turn the learning process into a game, then children are more likely to respond in a positive way. There are many different games out there, some are digital and others are physical. Comligo offers some great game options and learning courses.

You can also play interactive games at home. Scattegories is a great one. How it works is that you give your child a letter, and then ask them to come up with words that start with that letter, i.e. a place, a verb, an animal, a book, etc). Set a timer and see how many words they can come up with in a minute or two. It’s a fun way to practice their vocabulary skills.

Watch Spanish movies

A great way to “trick" children into learning Spanish, is by putting on a Spanish movie for them to watch. This can be especially useful if it’s a movie that they are familiar with, i.e. a well-known fairytale like Beauty and the Beast. They will enjoy watching it and it’s a great way to immerse them in the Spanish accent and vocabulary.

Read children’s books in Spanish

Just like with watching movies, this method will be more effective if it’s a book that your child is already familiar with. Already knowing the plot will help them to understand what’s going on as they read in Spanish. This can be very helpful when it comes to recognizing words and phrases that they are already familiar with.

Teenage/adult learners

For those who are older and fall within the teenage or adult category of learners, here are some great ways that you could immerse yourself in Spanish.

Label items in your house

A very simple, yet effective method to help with your Spanish is to write out small flashcard labels, and tape them to the corresponding items in your apartment. The advantages of the visual learning style can’t be overstated enough. Everytime you walk into your bathroom and see it labeled as “bano" or take out a glass labeled “vaso," it’s a subtle reminder that gets ingrained in the brain.

Listen to Spanish podcasts

There are plenty of Spanish podcasts that have been made specifically for Spanish learners. Listening is one of the most important parts of learning any new language. Listening to podcasts is often a very passive experience, but it’s also of the most rewarding and simple ways to learn Spanish.

Podcasts are the perfect way to maximize your learning when you are busy with simple, thoughtless tasks, like folding laundry or commuting to work. There are many different podcasts out there produced by native Spanish speakers, covering a wide variety of different topics. Pick one in line with your interests, and at your level of speaking.

Change your digital language settings to Spanish

We all spend far too much time on social media. So why not turn it into a learning tool? Social media is the perfect way to immerse yourself in Spanish online. You can start by following Spanish speaking users, but if you want to take it to the next level, you can actually go into your Facebook or Instagram settings and change the language to Spanish. This can be a great way to learn new words.

If you don’t like the idea of changing your language settings online, but are looking for a digital method, you can check out the online courses offered by Comligo. The Facebook page also has a lot of helpful information.