Learning Spanish With Software: 3 Actions You Must Take to Succeed With Spanish Language Software

Today's Spanish language learning programs are outstanding. They provide users with great native-speaker recordings. They offer lot's of verb-conjugation practice. They even provide information about culture, both Spanish and Latin-American. What they don't do however is tell you when, how or where to study. This post is going to tell you 3 things you must do to ensure your Spanish language learning success.

1. Make a Schedule on Day One

The best way to waste your time and fail at learning Spanish with a software program is to not make a schedule. If you tell yourself that you'll study when you have spare time, or when you feel motivated, or when your not tired, you are going to fail. This is what will happen.

For the first couple of weeks, you'll be excited and motivated, and you'll dig into your Spanish learning software quite a bit. As time goes on, however, your enthusiasm will diminish, and your attention will start to divert to other activities. Your studying will become sporadic, and you'll have a hard time recalling what you've learned. This will frustrate you, and, eventually, you will quit studying altogether.

Sounds terrible, right? That's because it is--so don't do it! Instead, make a schedule and write it down. You don't need anything fancy. You can buy or print off a monthly calendar. I like to hang mine on the wall next to my desk. That way, I have a visual representation of what time slots are allotted for studying Spanish. If you do this, you will form a habit of being at your desk at the same time on each day of the week. Then it won't matter how you happen to be feeling on any particular day. When it's study time, you will study. You will have developed a habit, a good one!

2. Set Bite-Sized Spanish Learning Goals

I know. I know. You've been told a million times by everyone, from your mother to your camp counselor, that you must have goals. Well, first of all, they're right. Second of all, what I'm talking about is a bit different. The reason you need to set Spanish language learning goals is not to give yourself some sort of direction; your software will give you that. Instead, it's to give yourself places to start and stop, places where you can win small victories and have small celebrations.

This isn't really necessary with other academic subjects because they have natural plateaus built in. In math, for example, you learn arithmetic. Then you learn algebra, geometry, statistics, and so forth. Each step of the way, you stop, see what you've learned, and then move on to a new subject. But learning Spanish, or any other foreign language, is different. Sometimes it can feel like you've been studying for a lifetime but haven't really learned that much, mostly because you never stop and see what you've learned. This is especially true when learning on your own with software, as you don't have a teacher there to break things up.

If you make learning goals, however, the huge task of learning Spanish gets broken down into much more manageable parts. For example, one language learning goal could be, "I will develop the ability to dine in a restaurant using only Spanish." After making that goal, you use your self-study software to learn what you need to in order to accomplish it. Then you go out and use what you've learned. Finally, you check off that goal as accomplished--and give yourself a little pat on the back. Now you're fresh and motivated and ready to tackle another learning goal with your softwarel.

3. Start Speaking Right From the Start and Never Stop

If you want to learn Spanish, you have to speak it out loud, a lot. You're probably sitting there shaking your head, thinking, "I know this already." Let me tell you, though, I have been in the language learning business for many years, and the number one mistake students make is not getting speaking practice,especially those learning on their own with software programs. Oddly, though, they think they're getting what they need. They think about speaking. They imagine the Spanish words coming out of their mouths. They may even mumble a few words now and again.

Most often, though, they just listen and repeat the recordings in their software programs. This is not speaking practice! Speaking is hard. You have to recall everything you've learned and actually get it to come out of your mouth unassisted. If you don't have a speaking partner, get one. You can find one online and then use Skype to have conversations. You can also join Spanish-speaking clubs near your home. Or, if you must, hire a tutor or do a language exchange--just make sure you get the practice you need! What's offered in your software in not enough.

Final Thoughts

Studying Spanish with software on your own presents certain challenges. The most difficult one is developing proper study habits without the guidance of a teacher. You can do it, though. Make a learning schedule, set learning goals, and get lot's of speaking practice, and you will get the most out of your Spanish language learning software.

Best of luck to you!