Sometimes after hours of Internet binging, a small voice in the back of my mind reminds me I’m a Spanish major and recommends I use some of my free time to sharpen my skills. Almost instantly, I disregard this suggestion. The sacrifice of Netflix for the sake productivity doesn’t seem worth it, and repeatedly, New Girl wins out.
The only way we can talk ourselves into exchanging mindless pleasures for educational challenges is to find ways to make “work” feel more like play. Whether you’re traveling internationally this summer and want to expand your Spanish vocabulary or you’re a college student like myself who doesn’t want to forget all the conversational skills you learned last semester, here are five ways to make learning Spanish (or any other second language) truly pleasurable, even in the context of summer vacation.
1. Find a nice Spanish soap opera.
If Netflix is your greatest weakness, then use it to your educational advantage. Choose from the dozens of Spanish films, documentaries, and soap operas Netflix offers. Turn on the subtitles (in Spanish, not English—that’s how we learn) and enjoy alternating between thoughts of “What is going on?” and “Whoa, I actually understood what he said!” I’m currently four episodes into Gran Hotel and strongly recommend it.
2. Meet Duolingo.
This is an excellent tool to learn new expressions, strengthen your speaking skills, and retain vocabulary. The website is completely free and simple to navigate, and they offer to send emails reminding you to practice according to the goals you set. You can even compete with friends to see who makes the most progress. Perhaps most importantly, there is a cute little green owl who tells you encouraging things while you learn.
3. Purchase a Phrase of the Day calendar.
Put the calendar somewhere you will see it every day so you won’t forget about it. Look for opportunities to use your Spanish word or phrase of the day into conversations with friends and family. Nothing is more entertaining than speaking a foreign language to friends who don’t understand a word you’re saying.
4. Hit up some Mexican restaurants.
Put your conversational skills into practice by chatting it up with your Spanish-speaking waiter. Sure, your words may come out clumsy, but your waiter will at least be amused by your efforts and appreciate the connection you try to make with them. Branch out from your quesadilla comfort zone, and try something new on the menu. Embrace the culture with arms wide and mouth adventurous.
5. Go abroad.
In a documentary I watched recently, a missionary to Algeria described her experience learning another language: “The desire for talking can only come from being among the people.” Take some time to get away from the structured setting of learning a language, and simply enjoy being with people. Whether you spend a week on a mission trip, volunteer in your community, or pour into a relationship with someone who just moved to town from another country, remember that building relationships and connecting through communication is the root of why we learn Spanish in the first place.
