Listening is underestimated. Sometimes, we spend more time learning the grammar rules and memorizing vocabulary than actually “hanging out” with the real Spanish.
This happens because traditional methods, mostly used in schools, make you think that Spanish is an academic and a serious subject. They tell you that you need to pass the test so you can graduate, how stressful!
Spanish is not in the books, it is on listening!
You will find real Spanish when you look for things to listen in Spanish. This will help you train your ears to identify the correct Spanish.
When you focus on studying Spanish instead of hearing it, you won’t really be doing anything significantly. You won’t have anything to use when you face a real conversation in Spanish.
In fact, listening is the technique babies use when they’re just learning to speak. All they do is to listen to adults, the TV, or their neighbors saying:”You’re such a sweet little thing! Say hi, come on, say hi”.
Babies never study the past tense or any kind of conjugation, they learn verbs and vocabulary by just listening to people tell them, yet, they end up talking like native speakers.
Think about yourself for a second … What is the main thing you do to learn Spanish? Do you study and focus on the structure of Spanish? or do you listen to Spanish like the best language learners, babies?
What should I listen to?
Really, if after watching the video above, you want to listen to more Spanish, then you need to beware with the things you use to listen in Spanish. Why? because if you listen to hard to understand Spanish, it will be frustrating for you, and in the end, you will want to go back to your boring Spanish textbook.
Listen to easy to understand Spanish, this means, a well pronounced and simpler Spanish.
Easy Spanish will help you feel you are really making progress, and it will actually help you understand and identify the real Spanish.
Make sure you can understand almost everything of what you listen in Spanish, and listen to it many times, this will help you do what babies do when they are just learning to speak.
Where can I find easy to understand Spanish?
The internet is a huge resource of easy to understand Spanish. You can look up some easy listening materials on google, or videos on YouTube.
My videos are a good resource of easy to understand Spanish. You can also use some of my lessonsto improve your Spanish by using your listening.
Do you have a friend who speaks native Spanish? Tell him to record some easy audios for you to listen on your phone, I’m sure this will help a lot!
To summarize
Listening is a very powerful way to improve your Spanish. Most of what you do to learn to speak Spanish should be focused on listening.
Don’t forget to listen to easy to understand material in Spanish, this will help you tons!
