Image Source: Spanish orthography
Maybe that headline seemed weird, but bear with us; it has a point. Spanish is the most commonly taught foreign language in U.S. schools. The language itself is beautiful and poetic. Listening to it is a pure joy, but understanding it is a problem. The past tense, in particular, is especially difficult for English speakers to understand.
But, what if you’re not a native English speaker? You’re already struggling to study in a second language. Now, you have to listen to instructions on that second language to learn a third one. Moreover, you’re asked to complete several written projects, which are an inseparable part of the U.S. educational system. It’s a serious challenge, but you can get through the difficulties with enough encouragement and the right tips to follow. That’s where we come in. In the continuation, you’ll find tips on how to perfect your Spanish writing skills even if you’re a non-native English speaker.
1. Don’t translate in your mind
English is your second language, and it’s also the language your professors use to give instructions for the Spanish course. The obstacle is obvious: when you listen to the instructions in English, you translate them in your native language, in your head. Then, you try to associate that translation to the lesson. You need to get rid of that habit of involving your native language in the process. It only makes the learning more difficult.
Your mind will get used to English. Sooner or later, you’ll catch yourself thinking in English. That’s when you can say you’ve mastered the language. At that point, your Spanish lessons will stop being overwhelming.
2. Listen to podcasts and watch YouTube videos
Before you can be a great writer, you need to improve your vocabulary. The knowledge you gain during classes is great, but it’s not enough. You need to find another source. We suggest listening to podcasts and watching YouTube videos. You can start with YouTube recipes, which come with visual presentation and clear pronunciation.
Then, you can explore podcasts and write down the words you don’t understand. These podcasts start at the lowest level and get progressively harder. The speakers start talking faster as you make progress, so they train you to understand native Spanish speakers. All those new words you learn will make your writing practice easier.
3. Study grammar, but pick it up, too
One of the biggest mistakes that language learners make is studying grammar rules too hard. There’s nothing wrong in learning grammar rules. In fact, you need them if you want to become proficient in any language. Instead of having a boring, academic approach to studying grammar, you can pick it up through actual communication.
Start analyzing the podcasts you’re listening to. How are the speakers implementing grammar rules in actual speech? Can you notice when they use the rule you recently learned about?
Whenever you learn a new rule, practice writing on a random topic. What inspired you today? Write about it. In Spanish!
4. Practice writing
There is one certain way to get better at writing: practice, practice, practice! Penzu is a lovely online diary that allows you to write anything. Spend at least 20 minutes a day to write something in Spanish. You can keep your entries private, so only you can witness your progress.
When you’re confident enough in your skills, pick a niche and start a blog. Write it on Spanish. This is an advanced level of practice, but you’ll get there with enough effort.
5. Use the right tools
In addition to podcasts, YouTube videos, and Penzu, there are other tools that will help you practice your writing skills in Spanish. Here are few suggestions:
- Assignment Masters – an online writing service that helps you complete different types of academic projects. Your teachers keep assigning essays and other types of papers, which you can’t always complete. When you rely on these professional writers, you’ll get the perfect papers, as well as some tutoring that will boost your writing skills.
- Spanish Translation Tool – you can use it to translate an entire piece of text to Spanish. You can’t expect a perfect translation, but that’s a good thing for your practice. Can you notice any mistakes? Can you fix them? You’ll realize that the more you practice writing, the better you get at catching translation software flaws.
Written? Kitten! – this tool pushes you to write faster and more effectively. When you’re writing in a non-native language, you get too focused on every single word you write. That’s why you lose track of the logical flow, and the process is not efficient enough. This tool encourages you to write faster by giving you a reward after every 100 words you write – a photo of a cute kitten.
You have a challenging goal ahead: learn a third language through instructions you get in a second language. The process is complicated to explain, but even more complicated to experience. Still, you can go through it. You are a committed and talented student. You can do it!
Mary Kleim is a creative writer and a tutor. She is writing articles to different resources on marketing and tutoring topics. In the future, she is planning to launch her own blog dedicated to self-development.
The post How to Get Perfect Spanish Writing Skills if English Isn’t Your Native Language appeared first on Blog - MyPrivateTutor India.
