Step-by-Step Spanish: Beginner to Fluent

 

I learned Spanish as a complete beginner with no other language learning experience. I tried courses, tutors, conversation exchanges, immersion programs, & sometimes just flat out stopped practicing for months at time out of frustration of not seeing the improvement I wanted.

BUT I always came back.

I always tried again.

And eventually, I not only achieved fluency, but developed an awesome system for learning Spanish that works for absolutely everyone regardless of experience with language learning❤

Step 1: Basic Vocab & Grammar

The very first thing you need to learn about Spanish is:

  • alphabet & sounds

  • colors & shapes

  • numbers, days, months, dates

  • Introduction & greetings

  • infinitive (to be, to walk, to see, etc.) & gerund (-ing) verbs

  • Verbs like gustar (interesar, fascinar, pertenecer)

  • present tense verb conjugation

  • preterit past tense

  • cognates (the true ones & the false ones)

After learning these topics, you’re ready to move onto the next step in the Spanish learning process🥰

Step 2: Intermediate Structures

The intermediate structures rely heavily on the basic vocab & grammar, so the better you know the basics, the better you’ll be able to learn the intermediate structures. Here’s the main structures you’ll need to know at the intermediate level:

  • Vocabulary development: a variety of topics for conversation

  • VERBS: many, many, many verbs, especially the most common & irregular ones

  • Past tense conjugations: preterit vs imperfect

  • Conditional tense conjugations

  • Future tense conjugations

  • Subjunctive introduction & present tense

Now, spend a bit of time reviewing the beginner & intermediate vocab & grammar - especially using it in reading, writing, speaking, & listening❤

Step 3: Advanced Application

At the advanced level, you’ll begin to shift gears into more application based learning & less intensive study/memorization. The focus now is:

  • Subjunctive: present, past, future, conditional

  • Vocabulary learned through reading, writing, speaking, & listening

  • Reading & writing using the grammar & vocabulary from steps 1-3

  • Speaking & listening using grammar & vocab from steps 1-3

  • Feedback, revisions, improvements as much as possible

You’ll find that the beginner & intermediate topics naturally integrate into the advanced process & even continue to improve & develop as you learn & practice these advanced skills through reading, writing, speaking, & listening❤

Step 4: Refinement for Fluency

There’s very little new grammar & structures at this level because the focus now is using what you’ve learned from beginner to advanced to develop fluency through reading, writing, speaking, & listening. Any & all exposure to Spanish at this point is going to contribute to your fluency, but the more feedback you get & improve based on that feedback, the more fluent you’ll become😍

 
 
Sarah VigilComment