Learning Spanish can seem challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. Perhaps you feel frustrated because you still struggle with the Spanish past tense, or the difference between lo, la, and le trips you up.
Yet you already understand how to use the past tense and lo, la, and le. You do it perfectly every day when speaking English. The only thing you don’t know is how it relates to Spanish.
Let’s take a look at how to learn Spanish by understanding English, so that you can study faster and more effectively.
- English and Spanish Have More in Common Than You Realize
- Learn Spanish Faster by Understanding English
- How to Learn Spanish by Understanding English
- People Also Ask:
English and Spanish Have More in Common Than You Realize
Although English and Spanish might sound fairly different, they are actually quite similar languages. Both have Latin influences. Both are European. As a result, they share both grammatical features and vocabulary.
Take, for example, the past tense. In English, you can talk about the past in many different ways: “I danced", “I have danced," or even “I used to dance." Similarly, in Spanish, you have different ways of talking about the past: I danced becomes bailé, I have danced is he bailado, and I used to dance is bailaba.
English has many of the features that you will come across in your Spanish classes: nouns, adjectives, different tenses, first person (“I"), and third person (“he/she/it"). In fact, nearly every feature you need to learn about in Spanish already exists in English.
The two languages also share many cognates, or similar words, such as:
- Idea, idea
- Probable, probable
- Television, televisión
Just like in English, if you understand the relationship between different types of words, you can discover new vocabulary. Let's take the word “active" or, in Spanish, activo. You can create:
- actively, activamente
- activity, actividad
- an act, acto
- to act, actuar
- activate, activar
- activation, activación
We all know that you can add “ly" to most English adjectives and then use them to describe actions instead of objects: he is a quick runner, he runs quickly. We explain this in more detail in our book, but the same patterns exist in Spanish. Understanding this will help you learn Spanish quicker and with less stress.
Learn Spanish Faster by Understanding English
By understanding how English words, you will instinctively begin to understand how Spanish works. Tenses, plurals, and the difference between bien and bueno will all make sense.
This will help you learn Spanish faster. You will be able to pick up Spanish grammar and vocabulary more intuitively and spend less time doubting yourself.
It will also allow you to speak independently. Rather than relying on memorized phrases and vocabulary, you will be able to build your own phrases and make reasonable guesses at the correct vocabulary to use. You might not have learned how to say “sustainability," but you will understand that it probably translates to sostenibilidad (and you'll be correct).
Whether you're taking an exam or vacationing in Mexico, you'll also find this helps you when reading and listening. You won't be forced to say lo siento, no entiendo or “I'm sorry, I don't understand" quite so often, since you'll be able to recognize the meaning of new words and phrases the first time you hear them.
How to Learn Spanish by Understanding English
Here are our recommendations for how to study Spanish faster by understanding English:
- Use a resource like our book English Grammar for Students of Spanish to help you understand the similarities between the two languages. Read the relevant chapters before your Spanish class or exam.
- When studying a particular concept, write English-language example sentences first. This will help you be confident in your understanding of the concept.
- Now, make your own Spanish-language sentences. Try not to write sentences that are too similar, though. For example, if you're studying adverbs, don't just create sentences with “He speaks." Use a range of verbs, sentence lengths, and tenses. This will force you to think about the word order you're using instead of memorizing one simple structure.
- Create flashcards for each grammatical point. On the back of the flashcard, write the explanation as well as some example sentences.
- Review your flashcards at regular intervals. This is the best way to ensure the concept stays in your long-term memory.
When you start by understanding English, your Spanish studies become easier. You learn Spanish faster and more effectively. In turn, this adds up to less stress and greater confidence.
It doesn't matter if you've been studying Spanish for years or just a couple of days: improving your knowledge of English will help you build a strong foundation so you can speed up your progress.
People Also Ask:
Is Spanish Easy to Learn?
Spanish is considered one of the easiest languages to learn for native English speakers. This is because the grammar is relatively similar, and both languages have inherited Latin words. However, the better you understand English, the easier Spanish becomes.
How Can I Learn Spanish by Myself?
If you want to learn Spanish without a teacher, you’ll need good resources. English Grammar for Students of Spanish will give you the tools to learn the language quicker. It will make challenging concepts, like the subjunctive and the object pronouns, much easier. You should also listen to Spanish radio, find language exchanges, and use flashcards.
How Can I Learn Spanish Fast for Free?
You can speed up your Spanish studies by doing free activities like watching Spanish TV, downloading apps like Anki and Duolingo, and writing a daily Spanish-language journal. To really learn fast, though, you’ll want to understand how English works. This will let you study tricky concepts like ser vs estar and the passive se more quickly.
How Many Years Does It Take to Become Fluent in Spanish?
According to the US Foreign Service Institute, it takes six months of intensive study or 600 classroom hours. However, this can vary greatly. The better your language-learning tools, the quicker you’ll reach fluency. That’s why we recommend studying how English works as well as making flashcards to help you memorize vocabulary.