Hello!
Seiiti Arata.
A lot of people have already done Spanish courses or attended online Spanish classes
and can even say some words.
But usually those people can’t hold a fluent conversation with a native speaker, read a
book written in Spanish, or watch a film in Spanish without subtitles.
There are a lot of methods that promise to solve this problem and make you learn Spanish
once and for all.
I’ve analyzed some of these methods myself and I can tell you that all of them have their
ups and downs, their advantages and disadvantages.
I’ve always been very interested in learning languages.
And when I started speaking different languages, I started to understand some essential points
that help you become fluent in a new language.
That’s why, in today’s conversation, I want to introduce you to a seven-step method
to learn Spanish on your own.
It’s a method I created myself after having learnt several different languages and that’s
why you won’t find this method anywhere else.
So, if you really want to become fluent in Spanish, studying on your own, pay attention
to the 7 steps I’m going to show you now.
First step: choose only one topic to begin with.
In the traditional method for learning Spanish, every lesson presents a different situation.
Sometimes the topic is introducing yourself to others at a party, or going shopping, or
telling your symptoms to the doctor.
The problem is that this can create in you a feeling of confusion because you may not
know where to start.
This is why in my method you need to choose only one topic, one subject.
For example, imagine a typical situation in a restaurant.
How will you address the waiter?
What will you ask them about the menu?
What questions will the waiter probably ask you?
What kind of answers will you have to give them?
For example:
- Good evening.
I have a reservation for 20:30.
It’s a table for two and my name is Seiiti Arata.
- This way, please.
Do you already know what you’re going to drink?
- I’d rather take a look at the menu, please
Did you see?
Use your imagination and think, in English, about the probable kinds of dialogue and vocabulary.
This is the content you will use during your study.
If you don’t want to think about a scene at a restaurant, you can imagine anything
else.
It can be you becoming the CEO of a big technology company and making the presentation of its
newest product.
It can be a business meeting just about to sign an important contract.
But you can also be more creative and imagine that you’re one of the characters of your
favourite series.
Review one of the episodes and imagine different outcomes and different reactions.
And what you’d say in such situations.
Whenever you want to start to learn a new language, start studying topics related to
your real life.
The ideal thing would be a subject you really like or a specific need you have.
For example, if you love comics, imagine some situations related to a comic book.
But if you’re having dinner with a foreigner, imagine a situation that has to do with restaurants.
No matter what you choose, the rule of this first step is that you select only one topic
to start with.
Step two: write down sentences in English and translate them into Spanish.
I’ll retake my example about the restaurant scene.
And now I will use an automatic tool to do the translation.
There are many of these tools and I talk about them to the subscribed members at https://arata.se/spanishbyyourself
In this example, I’m going to use Google Translate, which is free, and I’m going
to type the sentences I want to learn.
- Could you please tell me if this apple pie contains walnuts or peanuts?
I’m allergic to them and I need to make sure before ordering.
When I typed it in Google Translate, the answer I got was:
- ¿Podría decirme si este pastel de manzana contiene nueces o cacahuetes?
Soy alérgico a ellos y necesito asegurarme antes de ordenar.
IMPORTANT: Some people who focus a lot on detail will say that an electronic translation
isn’t a hundred percent faithful to the original.
But that doesn’t matter right now.
We want to be efficient.
And if you say it as it was suggested by the translation tool, you’ll be understood.
Additionally, the tool is evolving every day, because its algorithm is always learning.
That’s why I’m going to use this translation for my next steps.
Step three: practise the pronunciation to get used to it.
Now I’ll use the same translation tool to listen to how to pronounce it.
See how this is done by Google Translate:
[demonstration]
Now that I’ve listened to it, I’m going to practise saying it in Spanish.
But, to make sure that I’m doing it the right way, I’m going to use the voice to
text tool.
If I speak in Spanish and the tool creates a written text that’s the same as the Google
Translate content, I can be sure that what I’m saying is understandable in Spanish.
Remember that the speaking practice is different from person to person.
If you already have some advanced knowledge, you can try to say the whole sentence:
- ¿Podría decirme si este pastel de manzana contiene nueces o cacahuetes?
Soy alérgico a ellos y necesito asegurarme antes de ordenar.
And now I can see the percentage of words I managed to pronounce in a way that was correctly
interpreted by the voice to text converter.
[demonstration]
If my knowledge were more basic, I would simplify the sentence, because the whole version is
too complicated.
- Could you help me?
Does this contain peanuts?
- ¿Usted me podría ayudar?
¿Contiene cacahuetes?
In this case, I imagine you will have to point with your finger.
I have simplified the sentence.
I get my message across.
I explain my concern.
And if my knowledge is zero, then I just use the key word:
- Peanuts?
- ¿Cacahuetes?
To do this, I’ll have to use more sign language, giving a positive or a negative sign, for
example, which is a universal sign.
And, as you practise, the complexity of your sentences will evolve little by little.
Step four: make up possible answers and continue the conversation.
Obviously, the continuation of the conversation depends on what the other person says.
It’s no use to learn how to ask a set of questions if I don’t have the ability to
understand the answers to these questions.
That’s why I’m also going to use my imagination to anticipate what the other person’s possible
answers will be.
- I’m not sure, but I don’t think this pie has peanuts.
- No estoy segura, pero no creo que este pastel tenga cacahuetes.
- I’ll ask the cook and will be right back.
- Le preguntaré al cocinero y vuelvo enseguida.
The process here is similar.
As you’ve already defined a topic in step one, it’s going to be much easier, because
the vocabulary for that situation is very specific and quite small.
Extra tip: In case your knowledge is ZERO and you’re an absolute beginner, imagine
yourself at the market buying fruits and vegetables.
The reason for this being the best scene for you to practise is that human beings have
been traveling and trading for centuries.
Situations of purchase and sale of products are excellent to start with.
Step five: practise your listening and understanding of the answers.
Remember that, apart from understanding the structure of the sentences and the vocabulary
of the possible answers, you also need to practise your listening.
So, use automatic tools to listen to the sound of the words, too.
For every sentence you create and translate with the automatic translation tool, use the
audio tool so that it reads the sentence in Spanish out loud for you.
This way, you start training your ear to get used to the Spanish sounds.
When you have a whole conversation in Spanish, you can also make the tool read it all to
you.
Follow the text with the sound to start learning how to pronounce each word.
After you’ve done this several times, you’ll be ready to take the next step, which will
be a great jump forward in your studies.
Step six: use conversation apps and practise with real people.
Now things got serious!
If you thought you were just going to practise with automatic tools, now you’re going to
be surprised!
The best way to learn to do anything is putting it into practice.
So, if your goal is to speak real Spanish, the best thing you can do is to speak actual
Spanish with people who master the language, preferably with native speakers.
Nowadays, this is possible and very easy to do with the aid of tools that connect you
to Spanish speakers.
To do this, sign up to a community of people who learn foreign languages.
In these communities, you sign up, select the language you want to practise, and the
system connects you to other speakers of the desired language.
It’s an excellent way to speak with real people, in another language, without leaving
home.
There are many of these platforms and I will give you a complete list of them if you have
signed up in our project https://arata.se/spanishbyyourself
In this example, you can create an account in Tandem and in HelloTalk.
It’s quite simple.
After you’ve created your account, you’re going to start selecting fluent Spanish people.
And when they accept to practise with you, you can interact with them through written
text, through a call or even through a video call.
IMPORTANT: When you interact with them, explain that during your conversation you want to
practise the topic you have already studied.
This is important because we are following a method.
If, for example, you practised the restaurant scene and the person at the other side starts
asking you about other things, such as the films you like, what you do for a living or
anything else, you will be wasting the practise of the previous steps.
Step seven: think what can be improved and repeat.
At the end of your interaction, stop and think for a few minutes.
What did you do right, and what can you repeat in future memory cycles?
What did not go right, what do you have to improve?
What was missing, was there something you did not say?
This is the well-known continuous improvement process, which is Arata Academy’s tag line.
Always improving.
Obviously, once you complete the seven steps, you will notice that there were many things
that did not go as you imagined.
In real life is where you will notice where those improving points are.
Then, return to step one, choose a new topic, practise by yourself again with the tools
you prefer and do new interaction sessions with real people.
Here you’ve discovered a new method for learning Spanish on your own.
The seven steps you need to take are:
Choose only one topic to start with Write down sentences in English and translate
them into Spanish Practise the pronunciation to get used to
it Make up possible answers and endings for a
conversation Practise your listening and your understanding
of the answers Use conversation apps and practise with real
people Think about what can be improved and repeat.
Of course there is much more that you can do to learn Spanish on your own.
I’ve only given you the basic structure, and I’m sure that, just with this video’s
tips you can already put them into practice and achieve great results.
If you’ve liked it and you want to go deeper, to receive everything well detailed with the
tools I recommend, the communities to practise languages that I know work well and, especially,
a guided step by step with examples you’ll be able to use during your practice and interactions,
I have a surprise for you.
Type down https://arata.se/spanishbyyourself in your browser and visit the link so that
we can do a special training about how you can learn Spanish on your own.