Learning a new language takes time, patience and concentration – something a lot of us don’t have much of with all of our other daily duties. For this reason I’d like to share a few tips about ways in which you can keep your Spanish going on a daily basis.

‍1. Listen

If you can find 10 minutes a day to listen to something in Spanish, you’re on your way to success. You don’t even have to be 100% concentrated on what is being said – you can have the radio going whilst you’re cooking dinner, have one eye on a Latin American telenovela (soap opera) whilst you are having a bath or ten minutes before bed, or you can put on an interesting podcast while you are having your breakfast in the morning. It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand everything or if you miss a part and feel lost in the conversation – just by having Spanish playing in the background you are subconsciously absorbing the language. Try and find a way to fit this in every day and make it part of your routine. Before you know it you’ll be hooked on the telenovela and you’ll be spending every moment of your free time watching the latest episode – you’ll be surprised at how quickly your listening skills can advance.

‍2. Verb drills

‍Make a list of irregular verbs and post it on your fridge, your shower door or your mirror. If you have a tube or bus journey to work, take a little list with you and go over it in your head instead of sitting there staring into space! By doing this you’ll fall into a regular habit of reading just for a few minutes a day even if you’re in the midst of other activities and the verbs will sink into your head, little by little. Before you know it you’ll find yourself chanting verbs in your dreams!

‍3. Daily alerts

The Internet has just about every resource under the sun for improving your Spanish, but unfortunately we don’t all have the time to be surfing the web for the latest and greatest. So, give yourself 15 minutes to sit down and sign yourself up to some Spanish daily email alerts or apps which will send you a “word of the day”, “podcast of the day”, “false friend of the day” alert. In a world where we all check our email 100 times a day and jump at the slightest beep from our phones, you’re likely to read the message at some point. Even if you are in the middle of something and Spanish isn’t your priority at the moment you receive the message, you’re bound to skim read it and at least half of it will stay in your mind for a day when that information may come in handy.

Complement your Spanish classes with some easy-peasy and hassle-free home learning and show your tutor what you are capable of!