There are so many things you can do/use for FREE, just to keep 'tuning your ear' to Spanish, increasing your vocab' and fluency... The truth is, resources abound! We just need to roll up our sleeves and commit some time and effort...
1. Do you carry that mini notebook around with you, and scribble down some words to look up at home or next time you're in Spanish class?
2. Tune your car radio to the local Spanish station: 'La Ley', 101.1 FM
3. Watch a little TV in Spanish, and listen! Channel 20 here in NC...
4. Pick up that free, Spanish newspaper at the local grocery store or gas station, and spend some time tackling an article or two...
5. Get an APP on your phone, e.g. Duolingo
6. Pick up some Spanish books to read, like kids' books that are bilingual, and read them out loud to practice your pronunciation... analyse the idiomatic turn of phrase in these books... start your own collection and re-read them regularly (maybe look for bilingual books on amazon.com) Esperanza Renace (Esperanza Rising) was the first novel I read in Spanish. I read it in high school, so go ahead and order a copy and get started on reading your first book!
7. Get some index cards and paste up some vocab' lists in your home, on the fridge, in the garage, etc. Make a stack of some of these cards by your bed to read through before cutting out the light. Make a habit of reviewing your vocabulary words or verb conjugations at least once a day so that these words can go from being stored in your short-term, working memory, to your long-term memory (something you can use and remember for the rest of your life).
8. Get some articles photocopied and get a group of language aficionados together for an hour at a café to read out loud to each other, look up new words, and analyse the grammar/verb usage. Be intentional at these get-togethers - everyone should leave with a lot scribbled on their pages...
9. Change your ATM settings to the 'Spanish' language option... select 'Spanish' on the screen when doing a self-serve checkout at the grocery store...
10. Do you need to learn that vocab’ on asking your teacher to go to the bathroom? Here’s a great video to help with that!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3KbP2OEbW4
Quoted from "http://pedrocaminante.weebly.com/free-resources.html". Access more resources, verb videos, and MORE at Mr. Walker's website.
1. Do you carry that mini notebook around with you, and scribble down some words to look up at home or next time you're in Spanish class?
2. Tune your car radio to the local Spanish station: 'La Ley', 101.1 FM
3. Watch a little TV in Spanish, and listen! Channel 20 here in NC...
4. Pick up that free, Spanish newspaper at the local grocery store or gas station, and spend some time tackling an article or two...
5. Get an APP on your phone, e.g. Duolingo
6. Pick up some Spanish books to read, like kids' books that are bilingual, and read them out loud to practice your pronunciation... analyse the idiomatic turn of phrase in these books... start your own collection and re-read them regularly (maybe look for bilingual books on amazon.com) Esperanza Renace (Esperanza Rising) was the first novel I read in Spanish. I read it in high school, so go ahead and order a copy and get started on reading your first book!
7. Get some index cards and paste up some vocab' lists in your home, on the fridge, in the garage, etc. Make a stack of some of these cards by your bed to read through before cutting out the light. Make a habit of reviewing your vocabulary words or verb conjugations at least once a day so that these words can go from being stored in your short-term, working memory, to your long-term memory (something you can use and remember for the rest of your life).
8. Get some articles photocopied and get a group of language aficionados together for an hour at a café to read out loud to each other, look up new words, and analyse the grammar/verb usage. Be intentional at these get-togethers - everyone should leave with a lot scribbled on their pages...
9. Change your ATM settings to the 'Spanish' language option... select 'Spanish' on the screen when doing a self-serve checkout at the grocery store...
10. Do you need to learn that vocab’ on asking your teacher to go to the bathroom? Here’s a great video to help with that!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3KbP2OEbW4
Quoted from "http://pedrocaminante.weebly.com/free-resources.html". Access more resources, verb videos, and MORE at Mr. Walker's website.