6 MISTAKES KILLING YOUR SPANISH

People are always talking about things you want to do to learn Spanish…

But what are some things you should AVOID doing if you want to learn Spanish?

Because a lot of the time, it’s the things we are currently doing now that are drastically hurting us.

So in today’s article, we will cover 6 things you should stop doing right now if you want to learn Spanish.

Some of these might go against the grain and may even piss some people off… but so be it. It has to be said.

Stop Torturing Your Brain With Grammar

The first thing to avoid when you are trying to learn Spanish is studying grammar.

I know that they teach us to do this in school but it doesn’t work when it comes to learning and speaking a language.

It’s why so many people study for years in school but still struggle to say a sentence or comprehend native speakers.

If you are interested in linguistics then study grammar but I’ve found that most students don’t care about linguistics, they just want to be fluent in Spanish… and studying grammar isn’t going to help you do that.

For example, talk with a kid that is 4 or 5 years old…

Notice how they speak perfectly. Their sentence structure is flawless.

But if you were to ask them, “What is a verb or how do you conjugate a ver?” They would have no idea, would they?

When we grow up, we learn grammar rules in school AFTER we can speak well, NOT before. We must do the same with Spanish.

That brings the question…

“How do you learn basic sentence structure and other grammar if you don’t study grammar?” Well, the answer is simple. It will happen naturally just like it did with our first language… and that will be from consuming a lot of it.

Not Consuming Enough Spanish

The second thing we should avoid is not consuming enough Spanish, or not consuming enough comprehensible input in Spanish.

You can’t learn Spanish if you don’t consume it.

And by consuming, I’m not referring to reading a textbook in Spanish.

I’m talking about listening and interacting with it.

The beauty is that today it is easy to consume it with all the available resources we have.

Studying Content You Don’t Enjoy

The next thing you should stop if you want to learn Spanish is stop studying subjects that don’t interest you.

We know that if we want to be fluent in Spanish then we have to be consistent.

Consistency isn’t going to come if we dread studying.

That’s why the idea of “consuming comprehensible input” is huge because it doesn’t matter the source or type of Spanish you consume, all that matters is that you are consuming it.

That opens the door to a world full of unlimited content on YouTube, Podcasts, etc.

Remember that we need willpower and concentration to reach the level we want… and it will be easier if we dedicate time to study content that we like.

Speaking Spanish TOO Early

Another problem that I have seen is that many students try to speak too early.

You must be patient.

It’s the equivalent to telling a kid to speak in their first year.

Your brain needs time to consume, analyze and understand a language before you try to speak it.

It’s impossible to speak the first day you start learning.

In fact, you can hurt your Spanish because it will negatively affect your confidence in yourself.

The people that I have met that have problems with their Spanish accent, are the ones that began speaking too soon. I repeat, have patience. It will come, don’t worry.

Not Focusing On ONE Type Of Spanish

The next thing you want to avoid is consuming too many different types of Spanish.

We know that there are many types of Spanish in the word, but when you are beginning you should focus on ONE type.

After you master it then you can listen to others.

But which type should you choose?

Pick one that you like or one that you are surrounded by.

For example, if you live in a Mexican neighborhood and you have a lot of Mexican friends then you should learn Mexican Spanish.

There are many reasons for this but one of the most important is that we like to fit in with others.

We like to establish social ties with others.

Humans are sociable creatures and the way you speak, your accent, and your confidence will all get better if deep down inside you feel you are a part of a group.

It’s important that you don’t only pick a Spanish but that you also learn and speak with people that speak that type of spanish.

Don’t Try To Be Perfect

Don’t try to be perfect when you speak. Make errors. That’s how we learn.

I know that I don’t speak Spanish perfectly.

I always make mistakes and my cousins in Puerto Rico always make fun of me for those mistakes.

I mean, I don’t even speak English perfectly and it’s my first language.

Look, if you are not making mistakes then you aren’t trying.

It’s okay if you don’t know a word. It’s okay if you can’t pronounce it properly. It’s okay if the structure of your sentences aren’t perfect. Don’t let that stop you.

Let's Wrap This Up

These are some of the most important things to avoid if you want to learn Spanish Faster.

I know that some of them will be hard to believe but I have followed this advice to learn numerous languages and I’ve also used this to help many students improve their Spanish.

If you are really looking to take your Spanish to the next level, then check out our FREE 3 Secrets To learn Spanish faster training, where I will show you my 3 most significant secrets to become fluent in Spanish faster.