You know the feeling! You are on a roll, you are finally "getting it", and now you want to eat, sleep, and dream Spanish! How do you do it? Read on mi amigo and discover four key elements to living the bilingual dream!
Key 1 Start using your Spanish with your tutor or instructor in class! Any thought that you have, "What was that homework?", "When do we turn it in?" anything that you normally would ask in English, now ask it in Spanish! Not only will you be making them work for their money but you will also undoubtedly make their day :) But the real deal** the more that you do it, the more that you lose the translation process and really turn on the Spanish thought process. (Yes, it sounds deep and it is deep!)
Key 2 Hmmm....This next one is definitely for the 21 and over crowd! Go "Old School" and get a pen pal. A couple of ways you can do this, either scour your own facebook, LinkedIn, or Pinterest etc. Probably the, and I say this loosely, "safest" way to find a pen pal. After you find one, email, im, chat, video chat etc. at least once a week. and here I put a huge disclaimer! This is just a suggestion and follow your intuition! If the person sounds weird....they probably are!
Key 3 This next Key is one that I get very excited about! Investigate Spanish speaking conversation groups. I have one called Café y Español that is attached to my Spanish Tutoring program. Not a plug! because I am opening it up to basically any Spanish student who would like to sit in and converse. So, I periodically gather group of students with a fluent moderator together at a coffeehouse to discuss an amazingly interesting theme. The best part is that always there is open discussion time when students can chat on anything as a group. Where can you find other groups? Check the Community section of your local paper, call your local college or even go online! Again, there are so many out there, so choose one to stick with that you feel comfortable with. Key factor, speak Spanish!
Key 4 Now is the time to embrace the cultural side of Spanish. This will only increase your adoration for this beautiful, rich language. Check out Latino art exhibits in your area, heck, outside of your area works too! Latin Literature and Multicultural classes have always been my favorite go to learning arenas. If you are local, Palomar College usually has both of those classes. She makes the classes come alive and they will stay with you for a lifetime!
Okay, there you are! Breathe, Embrace, and Enjoy!
Key 1 Start using your Spanish with your tutor or instructor in class! Any thought that you have, "What was that homework?", "When do we turn it in?" anything that you normally would ask in English, now ask it in Spanish! Not only will you be making them work for their money but you will also undoubtedly make their day :) But the real deal** the more that you do it, the more that you lose the translation process and really turn on the Spanish thought process. (Yes, it sounds deep and it is deep!)
Key 2 Hmmm....This next one is definitely for the 21 and over crowd! Go "Old School" and get a pen pal. A couple of ways you can do this, either scour your own facebook, LinkedIn, or Pinterest etc. Probably the, and I say this loosely, "safest" way to find a pen pal. After you find one, email, im, chat, video chat etc. at least once a week. and here I put a huge disclaimer! This is just a suggestion and follow your intuition! If the person sounds weird....they probably are!
Key 3 This next Key is one that I get very excited about! Investigate Spanish speaking conversation groups. I have one called Café y Español that is attached to my Spanish Tutoring program. Not a plug! because I am opening it up to basically any Spanish student who would like to sit in and converse. So, I periodically gather group of students with a fluent moderator together at a coffeehouse to discuss an amazingly interesting theme. The best part is that always there is open discussion time when students can chat on anything as a group. Where can you find other groups? Check the Community section of your local paper, call your local college or even go online! Again, there are so many out there, so choose one to stick with that you feel comfortable with. Key factor, speak Spanish!
Key 4 Now is the time to embrace the cultural side of Spanish. This will only increase your adoration for this beautiful, rich language. Check out Latino art exhibits in your area, heck, outside of your area works too! Latin Literature and Multicultural classes have always been my favorite go to learning arenas. If you are local, Palomar College usually has both of those classes. She makes the classes come alive and they will stay with you for a lifetime!
Okay, there you are! Breathe, Embrace, and Enjoy!
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