To learn Spanish and become bilingual can have many benefits – broadening your awareness, connecting you to other cultures and peoples, and enabling you to communicate with a wider range of people with unique viewpoints and experiences.

Many jobs nowadays require employees to be bilingual.  The United States is comprised of the second largest Spanish speaking population, second only to Mexico.  It is important not only abroad but in the continental U.S. to be able to speak Spanish, as it is very helpful and almost essential in some communities to be a fluent communicator.  For people who find themselves around many Spanish speaking individuals, learning Spanish is a must. 

There is a no more convenient way than learning through self-study. Self-study, particularly in combination with exposure to native speakers directly or through television or a class, can expedite the learning process. 

If you are hoping to learn how to speak Spanish fluently, here are a few surefire steps to help you accomplish your goal, quickly:

1. Find an educational resource (maybe a college or online learning opportunity) – take a course, find a teacher, study a book, go online, or acquire an audio program.
2. Build your vocabulary and develop basic grammar skills.  Memorize new words and their pronunciations. Say a sentence a few times, then translate it into Spanish and repeat the Spanish version several times.  You are internalizing the sound, structure, and meaning of Spanish phrases.  Even if you forget a specific word or phrase later, you will retain its familiarity.
3. Think in Spanish.  By expanding your mind to another language, you will accelerate the learning process.  Whenever you encounter difficulty thinking in Spanish, you will elucidate for yourself your problem areas (vocabulary, grammar, etc.).




4. Expose yourself to Spanish.  Watching Spanish TV or listening to music are excellent ways to further your education.  Try to understand what is being said.  By listening to music in another language, it will become more fluid in your mind and also acquaint you with the accent and eloquent vocabulary of that language.  Television puts the language in context and makes it real, as well as giving you exposure to native speakers and their colloquial expressions.
5. Learn about Spanish speaking cultures.  Languages exist in a dialogue with culture, so certain expressions and mentalities are inextricably tied to cultural origins.  The study of culture may also help prevent social misunderstandings.
6. Choose a specific Spanish variant for advanced study.  Every Spanish-speaking country has a different accent, different slang, and sometimes even different vocabulary.  As you advance in your Spanish proficiency, you may find it helpful to choose one flavor to learn in particular.  It could be confusing if your lessons continually shift among word meanings and pronunciations for each country. 
7. Speak Spanish with others who know the language as often as possible.  Practice makes perfect.
8. Go to a Spanish-speaking country for vacations or service trips.  Being around people 24/7 who speak Spanish helps tremendously.

For excellent resources to begin your journey try the self-study courses below, they are economical ways to get started.

Suerte!