In a previous post, I spoke about the importance of multilingualism in the 21st century. Speaking multiple languages brings with it many social and economic benefits. My position is that being able to speak different languages inherently makes one a better person. And adding to this, I also hold the position that if you have the motivation and discipline to learn a language, you can do so solely with online resources.
I have lived in Colombia for nearly five years, and in my time here, I have become fluent in Spanish. I understand that as a non-native Spanish speaker, my grasp of the language will always be a work in progress. Having said that, my objective was never to perfect the language but rather, to be fluent in it.
It is important to note that there is a difference between fluency and accuracy. Fluency refers to having command over the language to the extent of understanding and being understood. Accuracy on the other hand refers to having perfect command over the different aspects of the language, including grammar, vocabulary, and syntax. For me, fluency is more important than accuracy. And in this post, I would like to share my ideas on how you can become fluent in a foreign language through the internet.
Language can be broken down into four separate skills: speaking, writing, reading, and listening. Speaking and writing are known as productive skills as they require producing the language, while reading and listening are receptive skills as they require receiving the language. Speaking, writing, reading, and listening are all important when learning a language. And with intentional practice in all four skills, one can gain fluency.
Below are some of the strategies I used to learn Spanish. Though I used these strategies to learn Spanish, a similar approach can be followed for any language.
1. Get a Teacher (or Teachers)
I am an educator, so I understand the value that comes with a good teacher. Especially in the context of language learning. It is easy to find a teacher online. There are several language learning platforms that connect students with teachers. I used italki, but there are many others too.
When I was learning Spanish, I had multiple teachers. I chose to have multiple teachers because I wanted to be exposed to different teaching styles, ways of speaking, accents and so on. At one point in time, I had a teacher from Colombia, Venezuela, and Argentina.
One of my teachers, Lorimar was excellent. Her lessons were dynamic, and she used a combination of different methods to create powerful, engaging, and challenging lessons. I had another teacher, Diego, with whom I followed the flipped classroom method. Before class, I would study independently and complete assigned activities. And in class, we would go over questions and doubts that I had prepared based on my self-study. This method of course requires a high level of motivation and self-direction from the student but is effective.
2. Study Grammar Independently
Grammar is an aspect of language learning that many find frustrating. But it is a very important part of the language learning process that cannot be avoided.
To reinforce my grammar skills, I watched explainer videos on YouTube. For each of the grammar topics I studied (from the basics such as the difference between por / para to more complex topics such as pretérito pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo), I would ensure to do some independent grammar study. This helped me understand the grammar better and feel more confident using it. In addition to this, I also did grammar exercises to practice and drill the grammar into my mind. There is a wealth of free grammar websites on the internet. Through a Google search (grammar exercises TOPIC), you will find a lot of exercises.
3. Speak Through Language Exchanges with Native Speakers
To practice speaking and listening skills, I contacted a few of my Colombian friends who I knew wanted to practice English. I would speak with each of them for one hour a week through Google Meets. In our sessions, we spoke Spanish for 30 minutes and English for 30 minutes. It was a fantastic way for us to both sides to gain fluency. And because it was with friends it was fun and stress-free.
I spoke to Manuel about art and literature. I spoke to Paola about education. I spoke to John about history. If you don’t have friends who are native speakers, there are many different online platforms where you can find people to practice languages with. Tandem is a popular one, but there are others too.
4. Read and Write Regularly
Reading and writing regularly goes a long way in the long term. After a few days or a week of reading and writing you may not immediately see progress. But after a consistent 3 months, or even 6 months, I can ensure that you will.
I read a lot in Spanish. I decided not to read books but instead read shorter texts such as short stories and articles in Spanish. I found this to be more digestible and in turn, useful. I read short stories by Spanish authors, translated short stories of those I was familiar with and news articles on topics of personal interest. I would print out copies of these texts so that I could read them and annotate as necessary, highlighting words I didn’t know and noting down questions I had regarding grammar.
Coming to writing, though a very different skill, it is as important as reading, I have a habit of journaling, so it was not difficult for me to write in Spanish. After journaling in English, I simply wrote a bit in Spanish. I used free form writing and wrote about whatever was on my mind. What I did the previous day, my to-do list, opinions about topic X. By writing in Spanish, I was producing the language and was satisfied.
5. Watch Movies, Shows and YouTubers in Spanish
While learning Spanish, I also wanted to improve my listening skills. For this, I decided to watch movies and shows in Spanish. At the beginning, I used subtitles in English but then decided to watch without them. I watched Friends and Fresh Prince of Bel Air in Spanish as I am very familiar with these shows. Because I knew the plot lines for each episode, I was not lost when watching and could focus my attention on the language rather than the story.
Additionally, I watched YouTubers in Spanish. I am interested in travel and food, so I found popular Mexican, Colombian and Spanish YouTubers who make videos on these topics. I found this refreshing because YouTubers speak in a natural manner, as if they are speaking to their friends. This trained my ear and developed my listening skills.
The above are just a few strategies on how one can learn a language. It is an incredibly rewarding experience to learn a new language. It increases your social, cultural, and economic capital and with a positive attitude, is fun! If you put in the time and effort, you can learn any language you want.