3 answers
Flynn
Student
Algona, Iowa
1
Question
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Summer Retention?
How do I retain what I learned in Spanish this year over the summer?
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3 answers
jim lynch
Teaching and editing
1
Answer
Harleysville, Pennsylvania
Updated
jim’s Answer
We generally learn about things we like and reject things we don't like. So, if you want to retain what you have learned, you must learn to like it. Relate what you have just learned to things you like. If you like girls, think of a girl you like and prepare a phrase to tell her you like her in Spanish. Say the phrase to her, and help her prepare an answer to say to you.
Since language began with people verbally making meaning out of sounds, you must first concentrate on listening to sounds in Spanish and repeating phrases using those sounds that you hear. It's helpful to record yourself to find out how closely you can imitate a phrase spoken by a native speaker. If you like music, and most of us do, listen to vocal music by artists that sing clearly, such as Bocelli, Javier Solis, Vicente Fernandez, or Edie Gorme with the Trio Los Panchos. Pick a phrase like, "Cuando me enamoro, doy toda mi vida," and repeat it until you can say it well. Find Spanish language videos with English subtitles and watch them until you understand the story, and then listen to them without using the subtitles.
Find an old friend or make a new friend that enjoys Spanish, and learn about Spain, Mexico, and other places where Spanish is spoken with your friend. Discuss what you learned with your friend with as much Spanish as you can remember.
Find a YouTube podcast that attempts to teach Spanish and watch it three times a week for half an hour.
Stick to all these fun activities and record your activities.
Don't worry about grammar; let the school teach you grammar. You probably didn't know much about English grammar until you had already spoken and understood English for a few years. So don't worry about grammar and writing Spanish until you can speak it.
Since language began with people verbally making meaning out of sounds, you must first concentrate on listening to sounds in Spanish and repeating phrases using those sounds that you hear. It's helpful to record yourself to find out how closely you can imitate a phrase spoken by a native speaker. If you like music, and most of us do, listen to vocal music by artists that sing clearly, such as Bocelli, Javier Solis, Vicente Fernandez, or Edie Gorme with the Trio Los Panchos. Pick a phrase like, "Cuando me enamoro, doy toda mi vida," and repeat it until you can say it well. Find Spanish language videos with English subtitles and watch them until you understand the story, and then listen to them without using the subtitles.
Find an old friend or make a new friend that enjoys Spanish, and learn about Spain, Mexico, and other places where Spanish is spoken with your friend. Discuss what you learned with your friend with as much Spanish as you can remember.
Find a YouTube podcast that attempts to teach Spanish and watch it three times a week for half an hour.
Stick to all these fun activities and record your activities.
Don't worry about grammar; let the school teach you grammar. You probably didn't know much about English grammar until you had already spoken and understood English for a few years. So don't worry about grammar and writing Spanish until you can speak it.
Rachel Emery Garnett
Spanish Teacher
5
Answers
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Rachel Emery’s Answer
As Briana already mentioned, watching tv shows and movies with subtitles can be a great way to pick up a little Spanish and retain what you have. It’s generally a good idea to find ways you can casually enjoy Spanish in the summer.
It also depends on the level you’re at in your learning. For casual learning like this, I would recommend finding a source of input that you understand 90-95% of, without straining. That way context clues can help you learn the remaining 5-10% of new words.
For students who are in the first year or so of learning, the free app Duolingo can be a very fun and engaging way to learn new phrases.
There’s a podcast called Notes in Spanish that has a beginner, intermediate, and advanced series that I highly recommend. Try the beginner series and move up if it’s too easy.
For beginners I would also recommend the videos by Pablo Román on YouTube called Dreaming Spanish. He uses a whiteboard to tell interesting and funny personal stories, play games, etc, all in slow Spanish. It’s very engaging and the more you listen the more you will understand. You can even turn down the speed of the video slightly, to .8 or .75, and turn on Spanish subtitles to check that what you’re hearing is what he’s saying.
Radio Ambulante is a podcast for native speakers by native speakers, usually with fascinating topics, but probably too hard for any but the most advanced learners.
For speaking practice, depending on where you live, you could try to find a Meetup group for conversational Spanish as well. Some have success with language exchange websites like LiveMocha, where you can teach someone your native language and in exchange they’ll teach you. I have a cousin who gained an impressive conversational level of fluency in four languages this way. (Depending on your age you would need to do this with parent supervision.)
It also depends on the level you’re at in your learning. For casual learning like this, I would recommend finding a source of input that you understand 90-95% of, without straining. That way context clues can help you learn the remaining 5-10% of new words.
For students who are in the first year or so of learning, the free app Duolingo can be a very fun and engaging way to learn new phrases.
There’s a podcast called Notes in Spanish that has a beginner, intermediate, and advanced series that I highly recommend. Try the beginner series and move up if it’s too easy.
For beginners I would also recommend the videos by Pablo Román on YouTube called Dreaming Spanish. He uses a whiteboard to tell interesting and funny personal stories, play games, etc, all in slow Spanish. It’s very engaging and the more you listen the more you will understand. You can even turn down the speed of the video slightly, to .8 or .75, and turn on Spanish subtitles to check that what you’re hearing is what he’s saying.
Radio Ambulante is a podcast for native speakers by native speakers, usually with fascinating topics, but probably too hard for any but the most advanced learners.
For speaking practice, depending on where you live, you could try to find a Meetup group for conversational Spanish as well. Some have success with language exchange websites like LiveMocha, where you can teach someone your native language and in exchange they’ll teach you. I have a cousin who gained an impressive conversational level of fluency in four languages this way. (Depending on your age you would need to do this with parent supervision.)
Brianna C., MS, SLP
Speech language pathology
148
Answers
Nashville, Tennessee
Updated
Brianna’s Answer
Try watching Spanish-language content with and without subtitles. You can also keep up with your current level of grammar/vocabulary by setting aside a short period of time (5-10 minutes) a day to read in Spanish and speak aloud in Spanish. When speaking aloud, try recording yourself so you can go back and relisten.