This will help train your mind to read the words and really understand them. But don’t forget to read magazines and cookbooks as well. There are tons of amazing Spanish writers out there, so delve in. If you don’t want to dive into full-Spanish telenovelas, then there are shows such as Ugly Betty and Jane the Virgin that only use Spanish sparingly (and with subtitles!).
Telenovelas – or Latin soap opera shows – are a great way to learn how to follow relatively simple (and yes, very dramatic!) conversations. If you thought learning phrases like, “The maid did it!” or “Your evil twin has come back from the dead” isn’t very practical, I’d have to tell you that you are sorely mistaken. And, if you haven’t noticed already, ballads are great since they’re slow and easy to sing along to. As a result, there are tons (and I mean tons!) of love ballads. If you remember what I first stated about Spanish music on my 3 Reasons Why I Learned Spanish blurb, then you will remember that the Spanish language and culture is big on passion or pasión, as they call it. Spanish, like any other language you want to learn, isn’t easy, but here are ten sure-fire ways to learn it faster: 1. You know that song “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz? Where he sings, “I throw my Spanish in the air sometimes saying, ‘AAAAYYYOOOOOO, NO COMPRENDOOOOOOO.’” Okay, so maybe these aren’t the actual lyrics to the song but most of us have uttered “No comprendo” at some point, which roughly translates to: “I’m sorry, but I have no idea what you just said and I just thought knowing the word taco was enough Spanish to sustain me.” Well, sorry to break it to you, my friend, but taco is not enough.