Some languages, like French, Italian, and Portuguese, have Latin roots, making much of their vocabulary similar—sometimes identical—to Spanish. Learning French, Italian, and Portuguese is often easier for Spanish speakers.
Other languages, like German and Hebrew, require more time and dedication since their roots are not Latin. However, it’s not impossible to speak them fluently.
Tips:
- Enroll in a course at Shalom Academy.
- Try to make friends with native speakers; this will help you improve significantly and learn words and expressions used in everyday conversation, making your communication more natural.
- Watch movies with subtitles and practice pronouncing the words or phrases you’ve learned. You can repeat dialogues to yourself while looking in the mirror.
- Listen to music you enjoy (repeat your favorite song as often as you like, and look up the meaning of the lyrics), and use what you learn whenever possible.
- Record videos of yourself speaking the language; this will help you “self-evaluate” and build fluency.
- If you’re able, travel to a country where the language is spoken and try to communicate only with native speakers. “Immersion” is the most effective strategy for learning a language, as it allows you to understand cultural aspects that can only be fully appreciated in the country.
