How long did it take you to speak spanish fluently? Any ideas to help me?

3 Comments

1. rayah_32 says:

   August 4, 2010 at 5:46 pm

   There’s no set time frame. Some people speak for years and never develop full fluency, while others seem to catch on within a few years.

   What methods are you using? Just class texts and workbooks, or whatever else the teacher uses, isn’t going to be enough. Studies show that most people who learn languages in high school don’t develop fluency unless they continue to explore the language and culture outside of the classroom. This means a lot of patience and practice. Speaking with native speakers can help because they can help you learn how to fix what you are doing wrong.

   I’ve been trying to learn on my own, and have been reading a lot of research about how to learn languages effectively. A combination of texts, workbooks, flashcards, music, movies, television, newspaper/magazine articles, bilingual reading devices (even bilingual books written for children will help), immersion and any other tool you can find will be more effective than just expecting to learn it in a class room. You need a combination of visual and auditory aids to help. You need to set aside a set amount of time for review and practice everyday. Use Spanish whenever you can, even if the people around don’t speak it…just explain that you are practicing your Spanish, and start speaking it.

   I haven’t been at it long, and it’s frustrating and hard to find time between work and school and trying to spend time with my daughter, but we’ve decided to work on it together, which I’m hoping will help me learn. Since she’s seven, I found a lot of research on helping her learn, and found out that the older you get, the more you will benefit from starting with this "base concept" type of training, so I’m hoping that it benefits me too.

   The point is, you can’t expect fluency just by being in a classroom, even if it is for three years…especially if you aren’t practicing a lot over the summer or during your vacations. Keep at it. I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it if you keep working at it and stay determined and focused.
2. maxlees@ymail.com says:

   August 4, 2010 at 5:46 pm

   4yrs

   (includes 6 months in Spain)
3. dannye says:

   August 4, 2010 at 5:46 pm

   It took me 7 months but thats because i lived in a spanish speaking country.It would take you 2 to 3 years maybe or less.To help you with your pronounciation skills,listen to spanish songs and watch movies and tv shows in spanish